Starting Over
by Belrayeda
Summary: Dean is hit by a truck in mid-morning traffic and as a result suffers lifelong injuries. On his road to recovery he begins to depend on opiates and narcotics to keep the pain at bay, terrified of dealing with it after his time in the hospital. With the support of his brother, Bobby, and a concerned doctor Dean isn't sure if that will be enough to save him. Full sum. inside. Destiel
1. Chapter 1

Full Summary:

Dean gets hit by a truck in mid-morning traffic and as a result suffers lifelong injuries. On his road to recovery he begins to depend on opiates and narcotics to keep the pain at bay, terrified of dealing with the raw pain after his brush with it during his time in the hospital. With the support of his brother, Bobby, and a concerned doctor Dean isn't sure if that will be enough. Putting up a face and convincing others that he's fine has everyone fooled but behind closed doors Dean spirals further and further into his addiction. Can he be saved before he's lost completely?

Hey folks, so this is my first Destiel fic and I've had so many ideas for such a long time until I finally settled on one that hits close to home, something that I know from experience. Not that I don't like writing fiction and creating a new world with new characters, but I also know that what makes a compelling story comes from a real place in one way or another. I've recently battled, and still battling, against my own addiction to opiates and narcotics due to a surgery and lifelong diagnosis, fluctuating from getting sober and relapsing. So consider this a **trigger warning** to those who need it as I will be writing from my own experience and of others. Pain can change who a person is so much and I cannot stress enough that I don't condone the abuse of narcotics or pain management, or anything addictive really. I can see the irony in giving advice when I myself have a hard time keeping to it but if I can dissuade someone from going down the same path I did, that many have followed, then I've done some good. Also I don't have a person to review and edit my works so, if you see any mistakes I apologize in advance. I try my best to go through my writing to make sure it's as correct as possible but, I'm only human.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the story and ask you leave a review once you're done. I'd love to hear what you think.

Be kind.

-Bel

I do not own Supernatural.

* * *

Dean woke up as he usually did. His alarm blaring one of his favorite songs, the guitar riff loud and nearly blowing out the speakers with its intense volume. He grunted in response and rolled over to slam his hand on the nightstand repeatedly until finally finding and hitting the alarm off, his hand flopping back uselessly to his side. He yawned into his pillow before rolling onto his back and blinking lazily up at his ceiling, sleep still clinging to his eyes and threatening to lull him back to whatever he was dreaming about. He grunted again, almost defiantly, to wake himself up and threw his legs over his bed sitting up straight, stretching as loudly as he could before getting up and starting his morning routine.

"Wakey, wakey eggs and bakey." he mumbled to himself.

It was like clockwork really. Brush teeth, use toilet, shower, get dressed, make breakfast, watch the morning news to find out about the traffic, gather his things for work and leave by 7am.

Not 6:59, not 7:01. Always 7 on the dot.

He left his condo quickly, drumming his fingers to a song stuck in his head as he took the stairs down to the parking garage under the apartment building. Dean pushed the heavy door that led to the garage and was greeted with the cool morning chill of the city, the smell of fog heavy in the air and it woke Dean up better than any cup of coffee he'd drink. His eyes gave a quick scan over the parked cars until he saw his beloved Chevy Impala, the black paint of the car shining in anticipation to be driven under the harsh lighting of the florescent lights. Dean grinned and lightly jogged over to his most prized possession, his fingers lightly playing over the hood of the car to caress the cool metal while his other hand fished the keys from his pocket, eager to hit the road to work.

"Mornin' baby, how'd you sleep hm? Ready to show these poor tasteless city folks how to drive a real car?" He chuckled to himself before opening the driver's seat and revved up the classic car, peeling out of the garage and hit the usual route to his work, music blasting and his fingers drumming along to the songs. The city was always busy in the morning but for some reason it was busier than usual,the rush hour hectic even for a Monday. He was half way through an impressive display of air guitar when his phone went off, the vibration rattling horribly off the leather seat next to him. He didn't answer until he finished the riff, not bothering to look at who was calling.

"Winchester, the man, myth and legend." he replied cheerily.

"Seriously? You're still using that line when answering the phone?" Dean could picture the ever famous bitch face his brother gave him when he was annoyed with Dean. He couldn't help but grin.

"Sammy! Good mornin' to you too sunshine. How's it hangin', still a little to the left?"

"Ugh, dude...you know our relationship as brothers is seriously weird when you think that's an okay question to ask."

Dean chuckled and switched his phone to speakerphone, turning down the volume so he could hear his brother.

"Why are you callin' me when I'm making my way to the office? I'll see you in like...30 minutes."

"Yeah, about that. I need you to scope out a potential lot somewhere out in Daly City to set up a store front. I keep hearing one thing from the landlord and another from the actual real estate company. I'd do it myself but I'm kinda wrapped up in something and my assistant isn't here yet."

Dean rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile, his fingers dancing over the steering wheel, his heart rate picking up at the thought of going out onto the freeway and stretching his baby's wheels. It wouldn't be a long drive but a drive nonetheless.

"Yeah why not, text me the address and I'll send you some pictures. Need me to get anything else while I'm out there?"

"Nah, just send me some pictures and tell me what you think about the neighborhood. And try not to get distracted by the Krispy Kreme that's out there. Please. Last thing we need is a repeat of the donut fiasco of 2010."

"No promises. But you owe me for disrupting my carefully scheduled route to work. I won't be able to chat up that new cook we got for the company kitchen, he's kinda adorable. Think he has a sister for you?"

"Oh my god Dean, shut up already." and with that Sam ended the call leaving Dean laughing and changing his route to hit the freeway to make his way towards the plot Sam was interested in.

They had just managed to seal the deal with a few places here in the city as well as some of the outer towns but had yet to find a suitable area more south of the city, not many available plots for sale. Dean guessed not a lot of people were interested in adding another auto-repair shop to the neighborhood seeing as how a majority of the people who lived in the area chose public transportation or other means. Dean knew he probably could have called his own assistant to do the grunt work but decided against it, the purr of his Impala and his personal tunes making him think twice. He lost himself to the music, the familiar roar of his car, the wind whistling past the windshield that he didn't notice the very large cargo truck heading in his direction from the other side of the lane until it was too late.

The truck nearly hit him dead on, his well-loved car flipping in the air and tumbling off the highway into the dirt road off to the side. The sickening sound of metal hitting metal and glass crunching under the weight of the car was so deafening that Dean couldn't even hear himself scream as his car soared through the air. He was locked securely in his seatbelt, his arms flailing about helplessly as he rolled with the car until his left arm was trapped painfully above him in the folds of bent metal, a pinching sensation in his right leg that he was sure he would regret in the morning and his head repeatedly hitting the steering wheel in front of him. White hot pain blossomed from his forehead, his vision going white a few times and him blinking trying to restore his sight. Before he could fully assess how much pain the rest of his body was in, or the damage done to his 'baby', or even the fact that the world was upside down was that this morning definitely sucked. He managed a frown before darkness began to creep at the edge of his vision and soon passed out to the sound of his car horn which his forehead was currently slumped over on.

* * *

Sam had rushed to the hospital when he received the call from an officer telling him that his older brother had been in a major car accident on his way to work and was currently being admitted to S.F General. His whole body went numb from the news and he knew that all that mattered was where his brother was and what would be quickest way to get there. He rushed out from his office, ignoring the elevator and instead chose to run down the steps two at a time in a quick attempt to get into his car at the garage below the building and speed towards the hospital that held his brother. The officer didn't know what condition the elder Winchester brother was in, only that if the wreckage was anything to go by, it wasn't looking good.

"Please be okay, please be okay...c'mon c'mon!" he mumbled to himself as he sped towards the hospital, his grip tight on the steering wheel. If he was worried about being pulled over, he didn't show it.

Sam wasn't really sure how he managed to get to the front doors of the hospital, he couldn't remember if he parked the car or if he just left it in the loading zone in front of the hospital, all he knew was that he needed to find Dean and to make sure he was alright. He wrinkled his nose at the thought, no. He needed to know if Dean was alive.

Sam rushed to the front desk and all but slammed into the desk, his action scaring the woman to look up at him, both their eyes wide with fear but for different reasons.

"I need to know where Dean Winchester is. I-I was told he was admitted here by paramedics about an hour ago?" blurted out quickly.

The woman blinked a few times, trying to get over her initial shock of the taller mans outburst.

He slammed his fist against the counter and growled in frustration.

"Dean Winchester! He's my brother and was in a car accident this morning, I need to know what room he's in!"

"Sir, please calm do-" the woman started before being cut off by Sam, his anxiety and his fear getting the best of him.

"No! Just tell me...where's my brother!?" he yelled out.

The woman stood up and raised up her hand trying to placate Sam, asking him again to calm down and Sam was about to yell at her again before his attention was pulled away by a deep gravelly voice calling out his family name.

"Winchester? Are you Dean Winchester's brother?"

Sam spun around at the sound of his last name, eyes frantically searching only to meet a pair of shockingly, yet inquisitive, bright blue eyes.

"Uh, yeah. Yes, names' Sam."

The blue eyed man neared Sam and held out his hand which Sam shook tightly, if the handshake caused the doctor any pain he didn't show it.

"My name is Dr. Castiel Novak, I was just on my way into the O.R. to prepare and operate on your brother. Please." Castiel motioned for Sam to follow him and the two men quickly walked down the corridor, Sam easily keeping up with the quick paced doctor. Just as Sam was about to ask the doctor about his brother, as if reading his mind, Castiel spoke.

"He arrived about an hour ago in critical condition. He suffered major head trauma, multiple fractures, his left arm is broken in 2 different places, a few broken ribs, significant blood loss and a piece of shrapnel still embedded in his leg that's plugging his femoral artery. It needs to be extracted but if done incorrectly he could bleed out in seconds."

Sam paled more and more with each word that came out of the doctors lips, his gut wrenching anxiously, jaw clenching, and closed his eyes shut tight for only a moment. Castiel continued despite the silence from the younger Winchester.

"The shrapnel and head trauma are what concern me most. Depending on the severity of the trauma his brain is most likely swelling as we speak, best case scenario he has a concussion but I won't be able to properly diagnose until I see him."

The doctor stopped just outside a pair of mint green doors, a huge sign saying 'STAFF ONLY' on each door, and turned to look up evenly at Sam. His intense blue eyes softened as he spoke, his gravelly voice calm and reassuring.

"I'm going to do my best to save your brother Mr. Winchester. I'm considered one of the most skilled surgeons in this hospital and your brother is in safe hands." He gestured to an open room down the hallway over his shoulder.

"The waiting room is there, I'll have someone notify you with news after the surgery has been completed but if I'm being honest you should prepare to be here for a few hours."

Sam nodded tightly, swallowing thickly and took a deep shaky breath.

"Thanks doc. I'll be waiting."

Castiel nodded and took a step towards the doors before turning to look back at Sam, squeezing his shoulder comfortingly and disappearing through the double doors.

Sam walked into the tiny waiting room, which was thankfully empty, and sunk into one of the chairs closest to the door, blinking a few moments before letting the wave of emotions that had been threatening to wash over him finally crash full force. He let out a choked sob, hot tears cresting over his cheeks to trail down his face, and his head surging forward to land in the palms of his hands as he cried. In the back of his mind he was glad that there was no one in the waiting room to witness his melt down but he was so torn and lost in his grief that even if the room was full and near capacity he wouldn't have cared either way. His big brother was on the brink of life or death and Sam couldn't bear the thought of losing his brother, the big brother that practically raised him, that babied him even now, the big brother that was always there for him no matter what. The only true family he had left on earth was now in the hands of uncertainty and in the hands of a skilled blue-eyed surgeon. He rocked back and forth in the chair while his cries filled the small room.

Sam had counted the minutes at first which then turned into hours, which then turned to fervent prayers, prayers that turned into desperate begs for his brothers life, that he would come out of this alive. That he would see his brother, see him with that cocky grin and shrug off the accident like he did with anything serious and only care about what happened to his car. Sam sat back in his chair, the back of his head hitting the wall behind him and his legs sprawled out in front of him. He looked down at his long legs and saw that he was still in his suit that he had worn to work that day. Or was it yesterday? How long had he been waiting now? Hours? Days?

A small knock brought him out of his thoughts and his eyes flew up to meet the familiar blue of the surgeon. He took in the surgeon's appearance and saw fatigue clear on his face, his dark green scrubs splattered with dried blood. Sams' eyes widened slightly at the sight and felt his breath catch in his throat. Was it Deans blood? Did the doctor come straight from the operating room to deliver the bad news himself? To break the news to Sam himself instead of sending a nurse with the good news? If Dean was in such a critical condition shouldn't the doctor be back in the operating room to save his brother? What the hell was he doing out here?

'Get the hell back in there and save him!' Sam wanted to yell, to grab the doctor by his scrubs and shake him, refusing to hear that his brother was gone.

Thought after thought assaulted him before he shook his head and quickly rose to his feet, rushing towards the doctor.

"What's going on, is he okay?" he asked desperately, his voice strained from his meltdown earlier and the current one rapidly approaching.

Castiel took a deep breath but Sam saw a small smile pull at his lips and he dared to hope.

"He's stable for now. He indeed had swelling in his brain but we managed to prevent it from getting out of hand, the shrapnel was removed successfully and he's being moved into the ICU at the moment.

Sam let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and let out a cry of relief, his shoulders sagging.

"We've put him in a medically induced coma to aid in the healing process but I must warn you about the future of his recovery. He will most likely have permanent damage because of the severity of his injuries. Physical therapy will no doubt be in the near future so he can regain functionality in his leg where the shrapnel was embedded."

Sam furrowed his brows.

"Wait but you said you got it out right? Why would he need to learn how to use his leg if you got it out?"

"It pierced through nerves, muscle and a bit of bone, he will most likely walk with a limp if everything heals the way it should. With a cut that deep, he won't be able to use that leg until it fully heals to prevent even more lasting damage. Same goes for his left arm. The road to his recovery is going to be a long and difficult one I'm afraid."

Sam swallowed thickly but despite the concern laced in the doctors voice all Sam really cared about was that Dean was alive and that even if his brother was stuck in a wheelchair it was better than in a coffin 6 feet under.

"Doc, I know you mean well and everything but I just care that my brother's alive." Sam half laughed half scoffed, his hand running nervously through his hair. "Can I go see him?"

Castiel smiled tightly and nodded.

"Of course Sam. He'll be asleep but you'll be able to see him. Follow me I'll show you to his room."

Sam followed the surgeon, who didn't seem to be moving fast enough for Sam, and led him through a different set of doors to a ward where Sam guessed was the ICU. Castiel walked passed what felt like hundreds of rooms until he finally stopped on the furthest one away from where they had entered. Castiel pushed the door open for Sam to enter first and it was then Sam hesitated. He took a deep breath and walked passed the doctor and was soon greeted by the sight of his brother swallowed up in a hospital bed. Sam hissed at the sight, barely recognizing the black and blue mess that was his older brother but knew without a doubt it was him. If that mess of dirty blonde hair was anything to go by.

His face had a mess of white bandages, bruises and cuts covering his face that no doubt Dean would complain about when he woke up, his left arm was in a fresh cast that looked to be 4 sizes too big, his right leg wasn't any better and was hoisted up slightly by a net that cradled his thigh, all sorts of tubes were sticking out from under the covers hooked up the machines that Sam was sure beeped for a purpose but he couldn't guess what. All that mattered was the steady beep of the heart monitor and the sound of Deans loud mouth breathing.

But Dean was there, he was alive, he was breathing and that was what mattered. Sam settled into a chair closest to the hospital bed and he set himself into a watchful vigil over his brother, his jaw tightly clenched, his hazel eyes bright with the threat of fresh tears and his hands clasped tightly in his lap. It was a painful sight to see his older brother so vulnerable, so fragile, so...human but, Sam had to take comfort in the fact that Dean was at least there to look like such.

Castiel silently looked over Deans chart at the foot of his bed, not bothering to say anything because if Sam's expression was anything to go by it was that words didn't matter at the moment. Only his older brother did. For a brief moment Castiel felt a pang of jealousy for Dean but it quickly passed and was replaced by a wave of affection for the brothers, the blatant display of love and affection from Sam only showed Castiel a glimpse at how close these two were. Dean was very lucky to have a brother that cared so much...Castiel wished he was that lucky to have even **one** single family member that cared even half as much as Sam. Well...he had one but... Castiel shook his head of his thoughts and wrote something down on the clipboard before excusing himself silently, leaving the room and returning to his other patients. That chapter in his life was closed and he had no intention of opening it in the near future.

* * *

Sam didn't miss a day to go visit his brother at the hospital. He called out from work explaining the situation to his secretary and to relay the message to the rest of the office. Neither he or Dean would be returning to work anytime soon and wouldn't know until Dean woke up. After Sam left the hospital the first night, he contacted Bobby Singer, the only other man he and Dean had close to a father after the death of their own, and Bobby was on the first flight out of South Dakota.

Sam drove to the airport to pick up Bobby and after he parked the car, he want to wait by baggage claim to meet the permanent grumpy mechanic. He stood off to the side, his eyes scanning the crowd until he saw the familiar figure of a rugged man trudging down the steps with a tattered carry-on in one hand and jacket in the other. Sams heart hammered in his chest as he spotted the man and could already feel tears prickling at his eyes, his breath hitching in his throat.

"Bobby!" Sam called out, waving his hands above his head to get the other mans attention. Bobby looked up and his ever present grumpy expression softened as he saw the taller man, the lines on his face smoothing out and picked up his pace as he walked towards Sam.

Sam met him halfway and they both stood apart for a moment, just looking at one another and Bobby could tell the younger man had had a rough few days. Exhaustion was clear on Sams young features, dark circles under his eyes, his face gaunt and pale, his long brown hair unkempt and wild around his head. Not that the old man could blame him.

"You look like shit boy." Bobby gruffed out.

But Sam knew better than to take it personal, it was Bobbys own way of showing affection.

Sam let out a short laugh and ran a hand through his wild hair before he stepped forward to wrap his arms tightly around the older man. Bobby dropped his bag and immediately returned the hug, his grip just as tight.

"It's good to see you too Bobby, glad you made it."

Bobby snorted. "A'course. You know I consider you two boys like one of my own. How are you holdin' up?"

Sam took a deep breath and shook his head, taking a step back ending their hug.

"Yeah, not doin' too well Bobby...they still got him in a coma but they said after a few days they're gonna try and bring him out of it to see what the swelling's done to his brain. Apparently he hit the steering wheel pretty hard. They said…" he cleared his throat. "They said if he wasn't wearing his seat belt he would've flown out the window."

Bobby grunted in response but Sam could see the worry that formed on his face, his eyes shining with tears but they never fell.

"At least he's not _that_ stupid." he grumbled out. "Alright well...let's hit the road and see if we can't get some food in you and a good nights sleep. When was the last time you got a full 8 hours?"

Sam smiled sheepishly. "Uh, before or after you gave us the company?" he joked.

Bobby shook his head and mumbled something under his breath but Sam caught it, the word bringing a genuine smile to his lips.

"Idjit…"

Sam settled Bobby and himself in Deans apartment, the spacious condo had enough room to house both he and Bobby without it being cramped. Dean kept his place clean and tidy but it was definitely 'neat' Dean-style. Despite the condo having been designed with 'modernism' in mind, Dean seemed to make it his own. The place was accented with what could only be described as rustic, his roots of growing up in Kansas showing through, with southwestern rugs decorating the grey walls, warm brown furnishings that gave the place a homey feel and comfy sofas with thick woolen throws over the back that were pointing towards a grand T.V hanging off the wall. The large windows had thick beige curtains to keep the cool air of the city out as well as provide privacy, a modest wooden book case sagging with heavy books and papers in between the two grand windows that opened up to a small balcony. From the entrance of the condo to the immediate right was a hallway that no doubt led to the bedrooms and bath while on the left was the kitchen and an open spaced dining room, directly ahead was the living room where said couches were. Other than the T.V everything was modest and it seemed like everything in the room had a purpose one way or another.

It looked like someone's _home_.

Sam had set up Bobby in the spare bedroom while Sam settled on the couch, not sure if he could handle sleeping in Deans room where he was sure he'd lose whatever sanity he had together. Bobby offered to take up Deans room originally, instead of the guest bedroom, after Sam had explained why he was sleeping on the couch instead so Sam could have a bed to sleep on. But that 'discussion' didn't end well for the both of them. Sam knew the older man was just trying to watch out for him but the Winchesters were anything but stubborn.

So Sam sat on the plush couch, while Bobby unpacked in the spare room, and waited so he could drive Bobby to the hospital while he could get some rest back at the condo.

They had agreed on the drive over that they'd trade off, one being at the hospital in case anything changed, while the other rested up and prepped the condo ready for Dean and his recovery. They'd come up with a plan later on how to rearrange the furniture to make it easier for Dean to move about and maybe even hire a in-home aide to help him while Sam was at work. Bobby agreed he'd stick around to offer some familiar company while Dean recovered and step in with the company to help with decisions if need be.

See, when Bobby was a little younger, he started an auto-repair business out in South Dakota that quickly became a popular spot for locals to go for repairs and Bobby decided to take a chance and invest, branch out to try and make it a chain business. Like Auto-Zone or Pep-Boys. Quickly his business boomed, his chain business spreading like wildfire around the country and soon there was at least one Singers Auto in every state.

Since Bobby was a longtime family friend, close with Sam and Deans father, and when he found out Sam was going to school to become a lawyer and Dean was flip flopping with his decision in what to major in he offered the business to the boys so he could retire. Bobby never had any kids of his own to pass it down to and he didn't want to pass off the business to some stranger that would just drive his beloved business into the ground while bleeding it dry. So Sam and Dean agreed to take over after they were done with school. Sam decided to minor in business while Dean focused on majoring in business and minoring in advertising.

Once school was done, they graduated with degrees in hand, and after Bobby properly trained them on how to handle the booming company, Bobby retired and left it to the two boys to run. Bobby couldn't have been prouder on how the two took care of his old business and glad that they had agreed to take over in the first place but that didn't mean the old timer was out of the picture completely.

Every now and then the boys would call him up asking for advice on some decisions on what routes to take and where, which was fine to Bobby, it would keep his old mind busy that wasn't awful day-time television or old folk-lore books he was obsessed with, and also keep track of his boys.

So Bobby figured he'd stick around, help out when he could and enjoy just being around his two favorite idjits.

* * *

 **5 DAYS LATER**

Sam was passed out on the couch when he felt his phone vibrate underneath his pillow, his eyes flying open at the sound and clumsily moved his hand to try and find it before tapping on the screen answering it.

"Y-yeah?" he answered sleepily, breaking out into a long drawn out yawn.

"Is this Samuel Winchester?" asked a sly voice.

Sam furrowed his brows and checked the screen, it wasn't a number he recognized and the voice didn't sound familiar.

"Who's asking?" he asked warily.

"Calm down, this is San Francisco General. I'm one of the nurses here in the ICU, we have your number as a primary contact for Dean Winchester it says here you're his brother?"

Sam relaxed but only for a second, his voice tight as he asked.

"Is he okay?"

"Yes, he hasn't woken up but his condition hasn't worsened. I was told to contact this number if anything were to change and I wanted to tell you that Dr. Novak has decided to try and bring Dean out from the medically induced coma to see the extent of the damage his brain might have suffered during the swelling. Dr. Novak assumed you'd like to be here for that."

"Uh y-yeah. Yes. I'm on my way, could you please tell Bobby that too, he should be in Deans room right now. He's an older-"

"Oh yeah, we know Bobby. He's already charmed half the nurses here. I even think he got one of their numbers." the voice said in surprise and a hint of mock jealousy.

Sam laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, that's Bobby for you. Thanks for letting me know, I'll be there soon."

* * *

Sam rushed through the hospital and pushed through the familiar door that led to Deans room to see Bobby and the familiar form of the surgeon.

Sams entrance drew the eyes of the two men in the room and Bobby nodded his head in greeting.

"Sam, glad you could make it. I was just explaining to Bobby the situation." Castiel replied.

"When are you planning on doing it?"

"I've already began weaning him off the medication, it'll be another hour before I lessen it again. Hopefully he'll be completely off of it by tomorrow afternoon.

He checked his watch and furrowed his brows.

"I'll be remaining in the hospital for the next 16 hours so if you need any assistance please feel free to call me or my brother. I believe you spoke to him earlier on the phone."

Sams eyes widened in surprise. "You have a brother that works here?"

Castiel nodded, fishing out his business card from his coat pocket handing one to Sam and another to Bobby.

"Yes, his name is Gabriel. If you can't reach me you can contact Gabriel and he'll notify me. He should be somewhere around here for the next 8 hours or so, I believe he just started his shift."

Sam nodded and pocketed the card, silently reminding himself to save the number to his phone when he had a chance.

"Thanks, I'll keep an eye out."

Castiel excused himself from the room and made his way to the front desk to find his brother. He didn't have to look for long, he spotted the smaller man talking to another nurse but if the enamored look on her face said anything he guessed his brother was flirting. Again.

"Gabriel." Castiel scolded lightly, making the female nurse blush and excuse herself.

"Aww, Cassy you always ruin my fun." Gabriel turned around and pouted at the doctor before smirking and leaning against the front desk counter, taking one of the lollipops from the jar meant for kids.

"Those...aren't for you Gabriel."

"I won't tell if you won't." Gabriel winked and unwrapped the treat with ease before popping it in his mouth. "What can I do for you little bro?"

Castiel sighed and shook his head before responding.

"I told Sam Winchester to contact me if he had any questions regarding his brothers condition and I also told him to contact you if I was too busy. I want to make sure Sam can get ahold of me if he has any questions."

Castiel could see a mischievous twinkle in his older brothers golden eyes, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Oh? Would Sam Winchester happen to be the tall, dark, and handsome hot mess that rushed through here a few minutes ago? He looks like a knot I'd like to untangle and wrap around my finger."

Castiel rolled his eyes. "Brother you are hopeless. Please just...let me know if Sam needs my assistance."

"Sure thing little bro...wait. How long are you planning on working today?"

Castiel looked at his watch and pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath.

"I've been here since yesterday night. Naomi had to call out so I'm covering her patients until she returns tomorrow night." Exhaustion was already rearing its ugly head and he was sure he'd need to rely on coffee again to get through his long shift.

Gabriels brows furrowed, a Novak tick Castiel noticed, and he lowered his voice, his tone full of brotherly concern.

"Hey, when was the last time you ate? Cassy do you need me to get you anything? Are you hungry? Joshua still owes me a couple of free lunches I could get you something from the cafeteria."

Castiel thought about it for a moment before relenting, his stomach growled speaking for the doctor.

"Yes, I suppose that would be wise. I wouldn't much use to my patients if I'm grumpy due to low blood sugar, that would reflect poorly on my part."

Gabriel clapped Castiels shoulder and nodded.

"I'll getcha somethin' good bro. I'll text you when I'm on my way up."

"Thank you Gabriel." Castiel relaxed his shoulders, a sort of weight lifting from his shoulders. He was glad Gabriel was there today, he was glad Gabriel was there period.

When Castiel was little he found out Gabriel had left the family randomly in the middle of the night. Castiel couldn't help but take it personally, his childlike reasoning came to the conclusion that it was his fault his brother had left. But as the years went by and he reconnected with Gabriel he found out that wasn't the case.

The Novak clan came from highly religious roots and when they discovered Gabriel didn't 'have faith' they gave him an ultimatum; to stay and find his path in the light with the family or to leave and never look back. Gabriel chose to leave while Castiel was still asleep, hoping to avoid saying goodbye, and Castiel hadn't heard from him since, never even had the chance to say goodbye to his favorite big brother. That is...until he stumbled across Gabriel at school many years later.

At first Gabriel had refused to hear out Castiel, worried he'd hear the same hate that his siblings and parents had spat at him but...Castiel was different. Castiel was in near tears at seeing Gabriel after so long and assured the older brother he didn't share the same views as the rest of his family, that he too had been cast out from the Novak home. Gabriel had his suspicions that maybe Castiel was lying just to get close to the man but after he hung out with his socially awkward little brother a few times, got to know him and what kind of man he had grown up to be, he honestly didn't think the man had it in him.

So when Gabriel attained his nursing license and Castiel his M.D they both decided to apply to the same hospital and remain close. And Castiel couldn't have been more grateful to have his brother back in his life and his support, that he wouldn't be alone in the cold city and competitive profession.

* * *

Castiel had finally stopped the I.V drip that allowed Dean to remain in a coma and assured the younger Winchester it would only be a matter of time until Dean woke up on his own but warned that it shouldn't come as a surprise if Dean still slept on. That Deans body could have slipped into a coma naturally so as to let him rest and recover over time without outside help, but that in most cases Dean would wake up once his body was ready.

So Sam and Bobby stayed in Deans room waiting for the elder brother to wake, the hours ticking by sluggishly until finally Sam passed out in the surprisingly comfortable hospital chair. Not soon after Sam had fallen asleep a knock woke him up. He sat up in his chair, blinking away the sleep from his eyes and saw Castiel walking into the room looking worse for wear. He noticed dark circles under the doctors eyes, his face haggard, and a bit of a five o'clock shadow growing on his chin.

"Hey Doc, you look...terrible."

Castiel nodded and yawned sleepily while trying to look at his watch.

"Technically I'm off but I wanted to check in on Deans condition before I left for the day. I hope you don't mind my personal involvement."

Sam shook his head.

"No, of course not. You've done so much for Dean."

Castiel smiled in thanks before moving over to Deans side, taking note of his vitals and turning to check the mans bandages. He didn't know if it was because he was tired or that he didn't have to rush off to another patient after his long shift, or that the swelling in the injured mans face had gone down to properly reveal his facial features, but in the afternoon light he took notice of how...handsome Dean Winchester was.

Despite the many nicks and cuts on his gorgeous face. Like old chips on a marble statue, it only added to his features. His lips were full even with the cuts and tube sticking out from his mouth, his nose was so delicate and defined, his lashes long against his freckled, rounded cheeks.

 _Freckles._

Dean Winchester had freckles and all Castiel wanted to do was to count them. Castiel took a deep breath and closed his eyes before opening them and his breath caught in his throat as he saw a shock of meadow green eyes. Those eyes were hazy, no doubt because of the drug and attempt to wake up, but they startled Castiel with how...incredibly vibrant they looked. As if a light was shining from within Deans soul and shining out against the glass of his eyes, illuminating them a bright green like a sunrise or sunset against the stained glass of a church.

Soon the haze cleared from his eyes and they focused in on Castiels own, his gaze looking up at the doctor so intently.

"Angel…" Dean breathed out, or tried to with the tube blocking most of his speech, his voice barely audible but Castiel caught it.

"Hello Dean." Castiel replied dumbly, his brain barely registering that the tube that was helping Dean breathe needed to come out now that the man was awake.

"Dean? He's awake?!" Sam called out, jumping to his feet.

Castiel ignored the younger Winchester and cleared his voice, keeping calm.

"Dean I have to remove the tube from your mouth, I need you to relax your throat so I can take it out. Blink once if you understand."

Dean groaned and closed his eyes before he opened them and looked up at Castiel again, blinking once with purpose. Castiel untaped the tube from the side of his cheek and gently pulled the tube out, surprised that the man didn't gag as patients usually did and placed it to the side.

"Usually...I'm...I'm the one saying that." came Deans strangled voice, a cheeky smile playing at his lips and Castiel had a hard time looking away.

"Oh my god Dean...you...you can't help yourself even now." Sam said, disbelief in his voice, tears pouring down his face as he shook his head. "Unbelieveable."

Castiel looked at Dean evenly, watching the man carefully.

"Dean my name is Dr. Castiel Novak, I need to ask you a few questions to determine your mental state. Can you tell me what year it is?"

"Yeah...the year I start taking the bus to work." he croaked.

"Dean…" Castiel reprimanded gently.

"Yeah, yeah...2016. November." he said, waving his uninjured hand dismissively in the air.

"And your full name?"

"Dean Winchester I have a dorky younger brother Sam Winchester."

"HEY!" Sam argued. Both men ignored him

"What is the last thing you remember?"

Dean furrowed his brows and closed his eyes for a moment before responding, his eyes still closed.

"Baby...she...is she okay?"

Castiel tilted his head in confusion his gaze looking to Sam for clarity.

"His car...he calls his car Baby. Dean, she's at the company's repair shop, nothing Bobby can't fix."

Dean let out a sigh in relief and opened his eyes again and groaned loudly.

"So doc, damage report?"

Castiel returned his attention to Dean and cleared his throat before speaking.

"You suffered major head trauma as well as many fractures in many parts of your body. The major breaks that concern me are the 2 in your arm and the few on your ribs. But we had to remove a large piece of shrapnel from your right leg that cut through muscle and to the bone, we were successful but I'm afraid you will be looking forward to a long road of recovery. Mainly your leg."

Dean looked down to his own form and took in his battered body realizing he couldn't move his right leg or his left arm, his body aching from the broken ribs and bruises he was sure he would find.

"Damn...I feel like I've gone through hell."

"You look it too." came the grumpy reply.

Deans eyes flew open and looked around the room spotting the older man.

"Heya Bobby…"

Bobby uncrossed his arms from his chest and smiled.

"Hey kid, how you feelin'...other than the obvious?"

"A helluva a lot better now that you're here. Means my Baby's in good hands seeing as how…" he looked over at his casted hand and wiggled what fingers were exposed.

Bobby gave a gruff laugh and shook his head.

"Not like you won't be breathin' down my neck tellin' me what to do."

"Damn straight." then Dean looked over at Sam, his heart sinking at seeing him. He noticed right away how stressed his little brother looked, his jaw tense, greasy hair from not having showered, his sweatpants and hoodie rumpled and wrinkled. He hated it. He hated that he made his little brother worry about him when it was supposed to be the other way around. He was the one that was supposed to look out and take care of his little brother, to be there for him and make sure he was okay, above everything else Sam always came first.

"Sammy…how's it hangin'?" he joked despite the tightness in his voice.

Sam gave a short laugh before he walked over to his brothers right bedside, gripping his uninjured hand and squeezing, as if to make sure his brother was there, in front of him, awake and alive.

"Jerk." Sam muttered but there was no malice in his voice.

"Bitch."

They shared a comfortable silence before Dean spoke up and looked up at Castiel, clearing his throat before talking.

"So, what are we lookin' at here? How long am I gonna be cooped up before I can go home?"

Castiel frowned and cocked his head questioningly.

"Dean you are still recovering from a major car accident, I'm afraid you're looking at another week or two here at the hospital. Maybe more depending on the circumstances."

Dean groaned and shut his eyes, gritting his teeth. He hated feeling helpless.

"For the moment you need to rest and heal so you don't put your body through any unnecessary stress. You are severely injured."

"You're...severely...injured." Dean retorted childishly, looking off to the side, pouting.

"Dean will you just shut up and listen to the man, now's not the time for you to get all 'macho' and get yourself any more hurt than you already are. You are goin' to lay there, get better, and then when the time comes you can go home. So shut up and count your blessings." Bobby huffed out, his voice firm and filled with authority which, to Castiels eyes, caused the injured man to sit up straight and nod.

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now since you're awake I'm going to head back to the apartment and get some shut eye. Sam, you good here?" Bobby asked, turning to grab his jacket.

"Yeah Bobby, here.

He tossed the old mechanic a set of keys.

"You can drive, I'll grab a cab home once I'm finished up here."

Bobby nodded before looking at Dean, his expression soft.

"I'll see ya later Dean, glad you're awake." he said before excusing himself, shrugging on his jacket leaving the room.

"I suppose I'll do the same and leave you two to catch up." Castiel replied tiredly, his long shift quickly catching up to him after the adrenaline rush he had at seeing Dean wake quickly dissipating.

"Tomorrow is my day off but please don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions. I believe Dr. Alastair Masters will be overseeing you in my absence but my brother will also be here tomorrow. He's one of the nurses here and he would be more than happy to help you as well." Castiel assured Dean.

Dean smirked and cocked an eyebrow up.

"Call you? Even for dating advice?"

Castiel tilted his head, questioning Dean.

"I don't...I don't see how relationship advice is relevant to your condition."

Sam rushed in to put a stop to the conversation before it escalated, already seeing the dangerous glint in his brothers eyes.

"Okay! Uh, thank you doctor I'll make sure to give Dean your number before I leave. Thanks so much for your help today, really."

Castiel nodded and straightened his back, bowing his head.

"Gentlemen, you have a good rest of your day. And Dean, rest. Please. You may feel fine but that's just the pain medication talking." Castiel gently warned, and with that hanging in the air he left to room, a swish of his coat signaling his departure.

"Wow! Did you see that guy's eyes? Bluer than the sky, and his upper lip?" Dean groaned in mock pleasure and hit his head back against the pillow.  
"God, he was gorgeous."

Sam shifted uncomfortably where he stood, avoiding eye contact with his brother. He wasn't uncomfortable with his brothers sexual orientation, he had known since they were teens what Dean preferred and had no problem with it. Hell, they lived in a city that had earned the title 'The Gayest City on Earth', but Dean also had no shame and was such a flirt, he seemed to exist for the sole purpose of making Sam as uncomfortable as possible. Sure, Dean wasn't prancing around waving a rainbow flag, tossing glitter and wearing nothing but a speedo and rollerblades proclaiming his status as a gay man but he still managed to embarrass the younger Winchester. Maybe it was just an older brother trait.

"Do you need some time alone? I think I have enough time to flag Bobby down so I can go home and flush my ears out with bleach."

Dean rolled his eyes and shifted in his bed, trying to find a comfortable spot. "So...how you holdin' up Sam? You look about as bad as I do."

Sam shrugged and pulled a seat up close to the hospital bed, sitting down with a huff, his hand coming up to rub at his face tiredly.

"I was worried about you, yeah. I don't know where I'd be without Bobby though. I…" Sam gulped, his jaw clenching.

"I thought I was gonna lose you." his voice strained, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Aw, c'mon Sam...you can't get rid of me that easy." he winked lightheartedly before reaching out his hand towards Sam, gripping his forearm tightly.

"I'm alright Sammy, seriously. You heard the doctor, I'll be here for a few more weeks right? That means I'll be around people who will know what to do if shit hits the fan."

Sam nodded and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and relaxed somewhat. Dean was right, there was Castiel and his brother and not to mention the fact Dean was in a hospital with dozens of other doctors and nurses around. Technically Dean couldn't be in a safer area than right where he was and with that thought, a weight was lifted from his shoulders and met his brothers eyes evenly. Dean was safe.

* * *

Sam left after staying with Dean for a few hours, the stress from waiting for his brother to wake up hitting him all at once. He left Dean a list of numbers to call, since Deans phone was broken in the accident, and told him he'd be back again tomorrow to visit. So Dean was left alone in his room with nothing but the occasional noise from the machines that he was linked up to and the chatter from outside his room.

His thoughts soon took him to the first time he saw the doctor, how those furrowed brows and intense blue eyes stared at him, really stared at him as if he was looking past Dean and into his soul. Dean was still on the fence on wether he liked it or not but those eyes...those blue eyes. Those he definitely liked. When the haze of sleep finally cleared and he could get a better look at the doctor, oh...he definitely liked what he saw. That tanned skin, the light stubble on his proud chin, the mussed black hair that defied gravity and stood out at different angles. And his voice. God, the noises he'd give anything to hear from that voice. It surprised Dean how deep it was, not taking the doctor for a baritone at first glance but it didn't take away from the obviously attractive doctor. So he couldn't help himself when he began flirting with said doctor, taking note of the subtle and not so subtle shyness Castiel showed but he didn't stop Dean. He didn't even show that he disliked the flirting. Interesting.

Dean grinned at the idea of continuing his flirting with the doctor and ran through different scenarios in his head on how to further flirt with the man until the strain between his legs stirred and he knew he should stop while he was ahead. He had read enough horror stories about young kids, dudes mostly, who tried to masturbate in a hospital not realizing their heart rate was being monitored and would alert the nurses if it reached to a certain point. That was not an experience he needed in his life.

So he tried to fill the time with some meaningless daytime t.v but soon found himself falling back asleep from the combined exhaustion his body was in from the accident, and potency of the medicine he was receiving via I.V drip. Whatever they had him on worked like a fucking charm, he could barely register the pain his body was most likely in, all he could sense was a dull soreness that he was sure would be a thousand times worse without the help of the medication. He made a mental note, before he passed out, to thank the blue-eyed doctor the next time he saw him.

Dean felt like he only managed to get a few hours of sleep in before a searing pain in his injured leg woke him up. At first he noticed it started slow, tossing and turning every now and then until finally it climbed and became a white hot pain that he couldn't ignore. He groaned loudly as he woke and gripped his upper thigh, the part that wasn't casted, and gritted his teeth.

He thought maybe this was just a spasm or a wave of pain that would go away if he gave it a few minutes. But it kept climbing and Dean could soon feel his casted leg throb in tune with his heartbeat and the fresh wave of pain with each throb made him cry out. He tried, he really tried to just grit and bear it, that maybe he could just force himself through the pain and not have to call for help but... it was just so painful.

His free hand fumbled around to try and call a nurse, a doctor, anyone to help with this.

"Where the fuck is everyone!" he growled out, pressing the button as fast as his thumb could.

Soon enough he heard footsteps outside his room and a doctor entered, his appearance calm and collected as he entered, irritating Dean even further.

"No please, take your time. Not like I'm in pain or anything." Dean snarkily greeted to the doctor.

"It's to be expected, you're still recovering from a near fatal accident. If anything the pain is assurance that you're still alive. You should take comfort in that." Dean noticed the doctor had a small lisp, his voice coming out like a poor imitation of Marlon Brando from the Godfather.

"Please don't tell me you're Dr. Novaks brother because you aren't half as cute as he is."

The doctor smiled wryly, an eyebrow cocked in half amusement.

"No, my name is Dr. Alastair Masters, I'm overseeing you while Dr. Novak is away. He won't be back until tomorrow as I'm sure he's told you."

He picked up Deans chart and flipped through the pages before raising an eyebrow again and looked at Deans I.V line.

"You're on some potent narcotics Mr. Winchester. Dr. Novak certainly lives up to his reputation but I think a change in pain medication would be the wisest decision here. There's no need for such potency. See, unlike Dr. Novak, I take a more conservative view on pain management. Can't have you becoming another statistic, now can we?"

Deans' skin crawled at how cold the doctors voice and shifted warily in his bed.

"Statistic? What do you mean change the medication? Like...stronger?" he couldn't stop the small hint of hope in his voice.

"Oh no, that would defeat the purpose. I think a simple NSAID should do the trick." Alastair wrote something on Deans chart and smirked up at the injured man which sent a chill down his spine, a sort of panic building in his chest at the doctors sinister look.

"I'll start the change in medication now." He walked over to Deans I.V line and unhooked him from the now empty bag before wrapping it in the spare tubing. Dean took a look at the bag and figured the reason he woke up from the pain was because he was out of whatever was in it.

"Look doc, I get your...uh…your 'concern' over me being addicted to pain meds and all that but I'm in agony over here. It feels like I have friggin razors and lava in my leg and my bones feel like they're made of shards of glass, you gotta help me out here."

"I am helping you Dean. Alastair purred, nearing the injured man and leaning slightly forward, his eyes locking with Deans.

"As a doctor your health is my first priority but I also have to look out for any long-term effects that this will have on you. Based off your injuries pain is going to be a constant companion on your road to recovery."

At this Alastair let his cold eyes roam over Deans form, as if he could see him bare beneath the covers, beneath Deans gown and under his bindings. Could see how battered and injured he was, every nick, and bruise was laid out in the open for Alastair to see and the doctor smirked at his own statement, as if...as if he derived _enjoyment_ from Deans pain. The way Dean gripped at his leg, how he leaned slightly to the left as if he could escape the pain in his leg by staying as far away as his body allowed, his scrunched up face with plain discomfort and how quick his breathing came.

"I'll make sure the nurses know about the change in medication." replied the doctor before exiting the room, leaving Dean speechless where he lay.

Dean could feel panic creep up his throat, the throbbing pain seeming to increase as each second ticked by. His breaths were rapid and only added to the pain as his ribs protested at the act, making his blood run cold. He shut his eyes tightly while he tried to get his breathing under control, his head pressed tightly against his pillow as he struggled.

Never in his life had he felt this kind of pain and helplessness that threatened to overtake him. He tried to reason that, as much as an asshole Alastair came off as, Alastair was still a doctor and knew what he was doing so if he said Dean needed to come off the hard drugs then that was it. Right?

But the pain...oh god the pain.

His heart hammered in his chest, hot tears running down his cheek and his blood roared in his ears drowning out the sound of the rapid beeping of his heart monitor.

He couldn't bear it, he couldn't take it.

At this point he was done trying to be macho and 'take it like a man' he didn't care, he just didn't want to be in pain anymore. He gripped the railing guards that lined his bed and gripped it tight, his breath still coming out in short bursts and his heartbeat like a drum in his ears. Was he having a panic attack? This felt like a panic attack or he was having a heart attack.

He blindly patted for the phone that was hooked onto the side of his bed and grabbed it while gripping the list of numbers Sam had left for him. His blurred eyes searched for the name he wanted, tears still spilling out over his cheeks which smudge the paper a bit and punched in the numbers forcefully. He shut his eyes as he heard the tone ring until finally a voice answered a bit sleepily.

"H-hello?" came the gravelly voice, confused and heavy with sleep. If Dean wasn't in such excruciating pain he'd have a better appreciation of how much more attractive that gravelly voiced sounded than usual.

"C-Cas…" he breathed, his voice desperate before finally succumbing to the darkness.

* * *

Castiel stormed into the ICU, his usual calm demeanor gone and replaced with fury, and anger. He had received Deans phone call mid-nap and when he picked up the note of desperation in the injured mans tone, it woke him up. Like someone had thrown a bucket of ice cold water over him. When he called out for Dean and heard no response he assumed the man had passed out. Well, he hoped so anyway.

He quickly readied himself so he could return to the hospital, throwing anything on that he could grab his hands on.

On his way he phoned his brother asking him to check in on Dean and ask what his condition was. When Gabriel told him that there was a change in medication his blood boiled.

Dr. Masters had apparently ordered Dean to be taken off the morphine and instead be given NSAID's.

Castiel growled under his breath and could feel a fresh wave of rage roll over his body at the news, nearly shaking in anger.

He told Gabriel to stay with Dean until he could get there and switch back the medication before Alastair could do any more damage. At first Castiel wanted to find the doctor and demand why he would give a grievously injured patient, that only just came out from a major surgery and near-fatal car accident, an _ibuprofen_ to deal with the pain. But with that thought he was reminded of Deans condition and knew Dean had to come first, that desperate voice that called out his name haunting his thoughts.

Castiel ignored the surprised looks of nurses and doctors as he entered the ICU, heading straight to Deans room and was relieved that Gabriel was still there and that, for the moment, Dean was asleep.

"Hey Cassy."

"How is he? What did you give him?" Castiel asked, quickly moving to Deans side and reading his vitals.

"Nothing. He passed out on his own, I think the pain got to be too much so his body just shut down. He hasn't woken up yet. I was taking a look at his readings before he passed out, it looks like he was experiencing a panic attack and that's what made his body shut down."

"Put him back on the morphine drip. I'll sign off on it. Where's Dr. Masters?"

"Last I saw him he was about to go on his break, maybe check the cafeteria?"

Castiel nodded and left the room heading to the cafeteria, ignoring the elevator and taking the stairs so he wouldn't miss the doctor.

It wasn't hard to find the other doctor, seeing as how Alastair was the only one in the cafeteria, reading a file and eating what looked to be like soup.

Castiel stormed up to the doctor and slammed his hands onto the table, semi-startling the older doctor before he looked up at Castiel. A knowing smirk formed on his lips.

"Castiel, surprised to see you here, isn't it your day off? Ever the committed doctor aren't you." Alastair mocked.

"You had no right! No right whatsoever to treat a patient like that. I can't even begin to list the reasons why you were wrong."

"I was completely in the right for what I did. Not that I need to explain my reasoning to you but, _Mr. Winchester's_ pain can be managed with a simple ibuprofen." He stressed at Deans last name, poking fun at how Castiel spoke of his patient with such familiarity.

"Perhaps, if one would agree with causing a patient immense, unnecessary discomfort. It's incredibly inhumane to make a patient with Deans injuries take a simple over the counter pain medication to deal with it. It's nothing short of torture!"

Alastair simply smiled up at Castiel, unfazed by his outburst.

"Dean's a big boy. He can handle it."

Castiel, in a moment of unbridled rage and fury, wiped the table clear of Alastairs soup and files before pointing a finger at Alastair.

"You are to stay away from my patient or so help me god, I will bring the judgement of the Medical Board onto you. If I see you anywhere near him…" Castiel left his threat hanging in the air before turning on his heels and storming out from the cafeteria.

Alastair simply smiled at the retreating form of the blue-eyed doctor and rolled his eyes.

"Possessive aren't we Castiel…" he said to himself before picking up his files and leaving, not bothering with cleaning up the mess from the spilled soup.

* * *

Castiel returned to Deans room, the anger and adrenaline he experienced earlier now gone, leaving the doctor tired and spent. He still hadn't fully recovered from his long shift covering for Naomi but it wouldn't be the first time, or the last, to soldier through the day. Gabriel was there waiting for him with a clipboard in his hands.

"Hey...I just need your signature real quick and then we can get Dean-o here back on the morphine drip." Gabriel greeted softly, holding out a pen for Castiel. He could tell his brother was upset, the tell-tale signs of his stiff shoulders and tense face. It wasn't as intense as when Castiel first arrived but it was there and Gabriel knew better than to get in his way.

Castiel nodded and signed quickly before silently going to Deans bedside, sitting in the chair that Sam had occupied earlier that day, his gaze focused on the mans sleeping form.

"Please inform the other nurses and doctors that Dr. Masters is not allowed to come near or interact with Dean Winchester. If there is a need for Dr. Masters to interact with him, I am to be notified immediately." he replied, his voice tight but full of authority.

Gabriel stared at him before nodding, not wanting to piss off his little brother.

"Yeah, of course Cassy."

Castiel quietly nodded in thanks, and with that Gabriel left to get a new bag of morphine.

Castiel sat forward and noticed that a heavy sheet of sweat still covered Deans skin and his near-constant tossing and turning.

He knew Dean was close to re-awakening and began to wipe down his patient, hoping his actions might calm him until Gabriel returned. He wiped at Deans face, removing the sweat and, upon closer inspection, tears from his troubled face. He also noticed Deans sheets and gown were soaked with sweat.

Making a mental note that they should be changed, he would inform Gabriel once he came back. Castiel firmly gripped the cloth in hands, gritting his teeth before he fell back into the chair.

"I'm so sorry Dean…" he whispered to the empty room. The thought of how much pain Dean must have been in, it pulled at Castiels heart and he felt a lump form in his throat. Castiel had his fair share of patients come through the ICU and knew firsthand what pain could do, it could instill so much hopelessness, could drag the toughest of men or women to their knees. How pain could twist the purest soul. How could Alastair ignore the obvious injuries Dean was in and leave him to suffer? Castiel couldn't believe that man was allowed anywhere near a Hospital, let alone be a doctor. And second he couldn't believe Alastair didn't consult with him before changing his patients medication and instead making the decision himself, deliberately ignoring Castiel.

That was what offended Castiel the most. Alastair was only supposed to be _overseeing_ him.

Dean was **his** patient, not Alastairs.

Castiel blinked at his possessiveness over the man, surprising himself at how strongly he felt towards Dean. Sure he's felt a sort of possessive nature and protectiveness over his patients in the past, they were under his charge after all, but with Dean...it felt different. Maybe he was getting too involved, too attached to the man, maybe he should pass Dean on to another doctor...but at the thought of it Castiel felt that possessiveness rear its' ugly head again. No. He'd see it out to the end. It would raise questions within the ward and draw unnecessary attention to himself and maybe even question his position as a doctor.

Castiels train of thought was cut short by Dean gasping for air and crying out, his hands immediately going to his casted leg, gripping his thigh tightly.

Castiel jumped up and quickly went to Deans side, his eyes locking with those pain-filled green ones.

"Cas..." Dean breathed out in relief, closing his eyes briefly and taking comfort that his doctor was here.

"Hello Dean. Castiel couldn't deny the butterflies that flurried in his stomach as he saw the obvious relief that settled on Deans face, the relief that laced his words and in the way he said the doctors name.

'Cas huh?' Castiel thought endearingly.

"I came as soon as you called, I want to apologize for Alastairs actions. Had I known what he would do...I never would have left you in his care. He won't be overseeing you any longer, I promise."

Dean nodded, his jaw clenched tight before responding.

"It's okay, as long as I don't see that smug bastard ever again I'll be happy. But...doc you gotta help me out here. I can't...I can't even think straight with all this pain."  
Dean swallowed thickly and, despite his best efforts, let out a small whimper. "Please make it stop."

"Don't worry. I've already ordered for you to be put back on the morphine drip and Gabriel should return soon. Would you...would you like for me to go look for him?"

At that Dean's eyes widened and his right hand flew out to grip the doctors own, Castiels hands were resting on the bed guard.

"Don't go...please."

Castiel nodded and held Deans hand in his own, gripping him tightly in his hands.

"I won't. I'll be here, I'll watch over you. Shall I call Sam? Or Bobby?" he offered. He didn't know if Dean wanted a more familiar face to comfort him in his vulnerable state but if having Bobby or Sam here helped with his pain, it was worth calling them.

"No...leave em. Once...once I'm back on that drip I'll be fine. They both need the rest. Especially Sammy."

"Alright."

They stayed like that for a while, Castiel holding Deans right hand in his own, his eyes watching Dean as he fought through the pain, his body shaking, fresh tears spilling out over his cheeks again no matter how many times he wiped them away. It was torture looking at him go through this, unable to do anything until Gabriel returned.

Before Castiel could ask if he should go find his brother, Gabriel entered the room hurriedly, a bag filled with clear liquid in his hands and a needle.

"I figured a small shot in his thigh should take care of some of the pain before hooking him up." Gabriel took a quick look at Deans sweat drenched shaking form on the bed.  
"Glad I did too." he muttered and tossed the bag to Castiel while he readied the needle.

Castiel released his grip on Deans hand to catch the bag, immediately getting to work on hooking it up into Deans I.V line. Gabriel came to stand next to Castiel and lifted Deans bedsheets and gown to expose his thigh.

"This will sting a little but...with the amount of pain you're in you probably wont feel it."

Dean nodded and tried to stay as still as he could while Gabriel gently jabbed the needle and injected him the liquid. And Gabriel was right, it did sting, no it fucking burned but then a wave of...something came over him and he soon felt his whole body relax.

Dean couldn't help but groan out loud in relief and relaxed, the pain that had been searing hot melted away into nothing but an itch and Dean wondered why he was so panicked in the first place. Like all the panic and anxiety he had felt because of his injuries, the fear that Alastair had instilled in him when he said he'd change his medication, all of that didn't matter anymore. It all faded away until it was barely white noise in the background, the relief of being pain free overpowering any other emotion. It was like he was floating but his body felt heavy and he noticed it took him some considerable effort on his part to keep his eyes open. He turned his head slowly to look up at Gabriel, barely registering that fresh tears were sliding down his cheeks and he tried to form some sort of coherent thought to say to the nurse.

"Wow...s'like...s'like being kissed by god. Or sumfin…" he mumbled out, a heavy haze settling over him.

Castiel finished attaching the bag to Deans I.V line and turned his attention back to the man, glad that it looked like he wasn't in pain any longer.

"Yeah well, I gave you a special cocktail. Looks like its working its magic on ya."

Dean hummed in agreement.

"I'll take one for the road." he slurred out, a loopy grin forming on his lips that was so contagious, Castiel couldn't help but laugh and smile himself.

"Hold your horses there cowboy, you're not going anywhere anytime soon Dean-o. And we got you hooked up now so you should be good." Gabriel gently pat Dean on his arm and looked up to his little brother.

"I'll keep an eye on him for the rest of my shift. I'll leave a note for Tessa to watch over him once my shift is over but I'll check on him before I leave for the day. I already let the rest of the ward know about Alastair and if changes have to be made that they should call you."

Castiel nodded before a thought occurred to him.  
"Also, if you could have Deans sheets replaced and his gown. He's soaked with sweat and if left alone he'll start to get cold."

Gabriel gave him a thumbs up. "No problem bro. I'll go get some fresh sheets ready and a gown."

"Thank you Gabriel. I appreciate your help."

Gabriel smiled and shrugged.

"I know, you'd fall apart without me." Gabriel joked and patted Castiel on the back before leaving the room.

Castiel looked down to Dean and saw that the man was dazedly looking up at the ceiling, his eyes unfocused until finally they sharpened and looked at him.

"Angel…" Dean whispered, smiling adoringly at Castiel and reached a hand out, his fingers wiggling for the doctors own.

Castiel took Deans hand without question, his body turning to pull the chair closer to the bed so he could sit and watch over Dean. He settled on the edge of the seat and returned his attention back to his injured patient, holding Deans hand gently in his own.

"That's the second time you've called me that." he said conversationally, but also curious as to why Dean considered Castiel to be an angel of the lord despite the origin of his name.

"Mmm...cos you are. My own angel. You saved me. Never had one b'fore."

"Coincidentally I am named after one, so technically you are correct. In a manner of speaking. I don't have a halo or wings."

"Black." Dean said with conviction, making Castiel tilt his head, silently questioning him.

"Wings...like your hair. Black." he clarified.

"Oh, I see. Well if that's the case then in turn, Gabriels would be blonde? Since he himself is named after an Archangel."

Dean nodded, grinning happily that Castiel understood his reasoning. Castiel smiled softly in return and gently rubbed his thumb over the smooth backing of Deans hand, which caused the injured man to hum in pleasure, his eyes closing.

They stayed like that for a few moments until Deans breathing evened out and his snores filled the room. Castiel took that as his sign to leave and gently untangled their hands, placing Deans arm to rest at his side and stood up. He took one last look at Deans peaceful sleeping form, burning the image into his head, taking comfort that he was no longer suffering from Alastairs twisted decision and left the room.

He wasted no time in getting home, tiredly opening the door to his house, kicking it closed behind him and stumbled over to his couch. He didn't bother with climbing the stairs, certain that'd he'd just stop halfway and pass out mid step, and flopped onto the overly plush couch, already half asleep as his head hit the pillow, welcoming sleep like an old friend.

* * *

AN  
Please let me know what you think and how the formatting looks,if the spacing is too much or hard to read. I feel like i went overboard with the spacing but no matter how many times I go over it and adjust it looks fine. But that's just me. I hope you like the story so far and a fair warning to those who are invested, I plan on making this into quite a long story. Not 50 chapters or anything but it will be long. So buckle up for the emotional roller-coaster that this story will be. Have a good one~

-Bel


	2. Chapter 2

Hello everyone, hope you liked the last chapter. I know it was really long and more plot forming than anything but I really want to pave the way and slow build the sort of trouble Dean will have coming to terms with his pain and leading into his addiction. In my experience I didn't really feel or fear the pain until I was sent home with no help from nurses or having a doctor at hand and the transition was...difficult to say the least. So if I'm going slow I apologize but I promise I won't drag it out too long since there is a story here I wish to write. Hope you all enjoyed your Halloween~

-Bel

I don't own Supernatural.

* * *

Dean woke up to the sound of someone humming softly, tugging at something just to his left, and for a moment it reminded him of how his mother used to sing to him when he was a kid, either to put him to sleep or just singing around the house. But it wasn't the right song he remembered her singing and it definitely didn't sound like her. Dean forced his eyes open, the effects of the morphine making it more difficult than usual, and as his vision cleared he saw a very pretty, dark haired nurse with short hair looking over a clipboard.

His chart probably.

"Hm, you're new." Dean mumbled, his slurred voice catching the womans' attention. He'd been in the hospital for almost two weeks and hadn't seen the woman before, he was half expecting to see Gabriel or Cas.

"Well look who's up. Good morning princess." she teased. "I'm your nurse for today, how are you feeling?"

Dean smacked his lips, his mouth feeling drier than the Sahara Desert and a wave of nausea rolled over him.

"Ugh...been better. Thirsty as hell and I think...nope yeah. I might need a bucket soon. This feels just as bad as a hangover. Maybe worse." He tried to sit up but then the room started spinning and decided maybe laying back down would be better. Dean felt a cool hand on his forehead and relaxed under the touch, the cool sensation a relief to his heated skin. He took another look up at the nurse and saw her name tag. Tessa.

"Well you are kinda warm. First let me take your temperature then I'll get you some nausea medicine, patients usually experience these sorts of symptoms when they're on such strong pain medication. Other than the nausea and dry mouth are you experiencing anything else?"

Dean took a moment to assess his body. Yeah there was pain, but ever since waking up it wasn't anything new: the throbbing in his leg, how careful he had to breathe so he didn't make his chest ache, the sharp pain in his left arm if he moved too much. But the nausea was new and so was the dry mouth.

"Just the pain but that's about it."

Tessa shot him an apologetic smile and patted his shoulder comfortingly, hugging the clipboard to her chest.

"Sorry princess, you're already maxed out on your drip. But with an injury that bad I don't think anything can help with that, you're bound to feel something."

Dean nodded and Tessa went about taking his temperature, wrote something in his chart and fluffed his pillows for him before leaving the room. Dean noticed a meal tray was set off to the side on his little movable desk and his stomach grumbled at the thought of eating something solid. He used his good arm to pull the tray to him and lifted the plastic cover revealing a small plate of mac and cheese with a few vegetables mixed in and some pudding. He also spotted a bottle of Ensure and decided to drink that instead, not quite sure if he could handle the meal until Tessa came back with that nausea medicine.

Dean took a glance at the clock and saw that it was just past 3pm. Sam and Bobby still hadn't showed up yet and a sort of unease settled in his stomach, wondering what was taking them so long. Usually they showed up a little bit before noon since Sam argued he didn't want to get stuck in early morning traffic now that Dean was awake. And since Tessa was the one helping him today Dean figured Gabriel had left for the day and if his favorite doctor wasn't in then it was Castiels' day off. Dean couldn't deny the fact that he enjoyed Castiels company, the socially awkward doctor provided too easy a target for teasing and flirting, but soon found himself looking forward to seeing the blue eyed man. But Castiel never hung around just to chit chat for too long and had to leave almost as soon as he'd come so as to check on his other patients and do whatever doctorly duties he had to do. So, without Sam and Bobby there to distract him, Dean found himself mostly alone in his small room, his window didn't give him a great view and with one hand out of commission there was very little Dean could busy himself with.

And it was driving him nuts.

Tessa came back with a small paper cup and a pitcher of water.

"These should help with the nausea and I got you a nice big pitcher of water with some ice. Hope that works."

Dean smiled gratefully. "Hell yeah."

She poured him a cup of water and handed him the pills when there was a knock on the door and Sam poked his head in, his hazel eyes taking in the scene before him.

"Is this a bad time?"

Tessa shook her head and beckoned the younger Winchester in.

"No not at all. I'm just giving Dean something to help with his nausea."

Sam walked in, a plastic bag in hand and set his things down in one the spare chairs before sitting near Deans bedside, waiting on him to finish with the nurse. Once Dean had swallowed the pills he greedily poured himself a simple cup of water and chugged it down, smacking his lips gratefully.

"Thanks Tess, you're a doll." he said, flashing her a dazzling smile and Tessa rolled her eyes, cocking out her hip with one hand.

"If I didn't know any better Mr. Winchester I'd dare to say you're a heartbreaker. And a heartbreaker is nothing but trouble."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it doll." he winked slyly.

Tessa shook her head in exasperation before looking pointedly at Sam.

"I'm noticing a pattern between Dean here and Bobby. Like father like son I guess." and with that she left, not staying long enough for Sam to correct her but she wasn't 100% wrong.

"I can't take you anywhere." Sam scolded despite an easy smile crossing his lips.

"Hey man, can't teach an old dog new tricks. But anyways, what took you so long today? It's almost 4, usually you're here before 12."

"Yeah man sorry about that. I was gonna call you to let you know that I'd be late but I got caught up with the movers. I had to be there to let em in."

Dean raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Movers? You movin' somewhere without telling me?"

"No, no, nothing like that. I figured with you being in bad shape and all you'd need a hospital bed like this one to help you get in and out of bed alright. Bobby's helping to set it up and making sure it's all ready for you when you get back."

Sam hoped his brother wouldn't be offended over the idea of a hospital bed, he didn't want Dean to think he was an invalid or anything, but if his leg was as bad as everyone was saying Dean could use all the help he could get.

"Oh...right. Yeah I guess it would be kinda hard to get in and out of bed with one leg wrapped up like Frodo when Shelob caught him."

Sam gave his brother a questioning look. Dean smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

"Love me some Lord of the Rings." he said proudly and Sam couldn't help but laugh and shake his head. God his brother was a geek.

They passed the time with random conversations, some about Deans experience with the staff here at the ward but he never brought up what happened between him and Alastair, not wanting to worry his little brother with something that wouldn't be a problem anymore. Cas had promised that Alastair wouldn't be allowed anywhere near him and he believed him. Instead he talked about the horrible hospital food and how he worried about his 'Baby' and what Bobby was planning on doing to it. Sam reassured him that Bobby wouldn't start without Dean and at the mention of food, he lifted the plastic bag he had brought with him.

"I knew you'd start complaining about the food here so I got you something special. It should still be hot too." Sam pulled out a take out box and placed it in front of Dean but if the smell was anything to go by Dean knew what it was immediately.

He flicked the box open and saw his favorite food from his favorite diner; a bacon cheeseburger, fries and a little container that held some ketchup. He groaned in anticipation and was about to dig in, ready to embarrass himself in front of his brother but there was something missing. He looked over at Sam, a wide grin of victory on his face but one look at Dean made his face fall in confusion, he furrowed his brows.

"What?"

"Dude? Where's the pie?"

Sam blinked, the wheels in his brain turning until it finally clicked and his eyes widened in horror, his face even paling a bit.

"Oh crap. Dean I totally forgot. I was already running late and I was so distracted about getting you the burger, you know Mel's can get pretty crowded during lunch, and I forgot to order the pie." he swallowed thickly, nervously looking between Dean and the burger.

"Man, you always forget the pie!" Dean whined, a small pout on his lips as he stared at his burger, the meal not as enticing as before.

"Dude...you need like pie intervention or something. Pie-dependency isn't to be taken lightly…"

He started laughing as Dean began smacking him with his empty Ensure bottle, trying to silence him.

"Dean! Seriously! You can't live in denial any longer, you need professional help!"

"Yeah?! That's what you'll need once I'm done with you! Can't _believe_ you forgot my pie!"

They bickered and play-fought until a nurse had to come in and silence the brothers but that didn't stop them from snickering and tossing fries at one another. Dean didn't care, didn't care how his chest hurt, how every laugh he took pulled at his stitches or shifted his broken ribs. He didn't care how the pain flared up in his leg as he shifted closer to his brother to hit him harder or how his head throbbed from moving too fast. He knew his car accident could have been the end of him and could see how it affected Sam when he woke up, taking in his brothers disheveled appearance, how clearly stressed out he was. But now, seeing Sam try and avoid being hit by a fry, the carefree smile on his face, his genuine boisterous laugh, it was worth every ache in his body. Sam would always be worth it.

Once they had run out of fries to throw at each other and Dean finished tearing apart his burger, the brothers talked for a while longer until Sam decided he should get back to Bobby and get some food himself. They shared a quick one armed hug and Dean scolded Sam to get him a whole pie the next time he came to visit or there'd be hell to pay.

"Oh! I can't believe I almost forgot…

Dean snorted but Sam ignored him, reaching back into the plastic bag pulling out a small box and put it in front of Dean.

"I got you a new phone since your old one got busted in the accident. The people at the store said it should have all your old contacts and some photos. It's set up and ready to use."

Dean snatched the box and began prying off the lid to see the silver gleam of his new phone, his fingers itching to play with something new and keep him busy between visits.

"You know you're my favorite brother, right?"

Sam scoffed and shook his head.

"I'm your only brother. I'll see you tomorrow." and with that Sam left, leaving Dean to play around with his new phone, eager to watch something that wasn't awful daytime television. The distraction was enough for him to ignore the constant throbbing in his right leg.

* * *

Castiel was having dinner with Gabriel when his phone went off, causing the two brothers to raise an eyebrow in surprise. It was rare that they both had the same days off so he decided to make dinner at his house and invited Gabriel over since they didn't have anything planned to do on their own.

"Who's textin' ya Cassy? Got a new boy-toy you haven't told me about?" Gabriel teased, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

Castiel looked to his phone, ignoring the look his brother was giving him, the number not one he recognized.

"You know I don't have many friends Gabriel. And no, I don't have a...a 'boy-toy'. You''re promiscuous enough for the both of us."  
Castiel swiped his thumb over the screen, looking at the text message he received.

 _?:"What are you wearing?"_

Castiel was about to delete the message when it pinged again.

 _?:"I have a few ideas if you need any."_

Castiel quickly replied, hoping that it was simply a wrong number and not some sort of stalker.

 _C:"You must have the wrong number._

It pinged again with a response and this time Castiel felt his heart hammer in his chest, a blush soon spreading over his cheeks.

 _?:"It's Dean Winchester. I finally have a phone thanks to Sam. This is Castiel right? My angel?_

Gabriel noticed the change in his little brothers face and grinned, his head craning to try and look at Castiels phone.

"Cassy, you're blushing. Who is it?"

"It's...Dean Winchester. He sent me a text message." He showed the screen to Gabriel and his grin grew even wider.

"Oooh, Cassy. You naughty thing you. Flirting with your patients, tsk I didn't know my brother was such a rebel."

"I'm not flirting. He said Sam had given him a new phone, he must have put my number in there for Dean."

"Uh huh..so you gonna respond or what?" Gabriel took another glance at the phone. "Looks like Dean has a claim on you already, 'his angel' huh? You guys are so gross."

Castiel glared at his brother but he honestly didn't know how to respond. He knew it went against some kind of code between patient and doctor but Dean was only his patient because he was admitted. Once Dean was discharged he technically wouldn't be his patient anymore. He felt a pang in his chest at the thought that he wouldn't see Dean again once he was deemed okay to go home.

Okay, maybe he had a little crush but, again once Dean was gone he'd never see him again so what good did a crush do. Unless...he pursued Dean. Pursued the idea of courting the man and going out on a few dates, see what kind of chemistry they held since he barely knew the man. But with Dean being as injured as he was he doubted the man would want to get into the dating scene, hell he didn't even know if he was taken. He didn't think the man was single based off his looks alone...though... Castiel would be lying if he didn't notice that there wasn't a wedding band on Deans finger. So there was a chance Castiel wouldn't be stepping on any toes if he returned the flirting remarks.

Castiel turned his attention back to his phone and began typing away.

 _C:"Yes, this is Castiel. I'm currently having dinner with my brother at my house so my clothes are casual-wear."_

"Let me see!" Gabriel whined when he noticed Castiel was actually responding to the message. He frowned however when he saw his brothers lame response and rolled his eyes.

"You are something else Cassy." he scolded and stood up taking his empty plate, going into the kitchen.

Castiel barely had to wait long for a response and a small smile tugged at his lips.

 _D:"Yeah? Bet you look good in em, you'd look good in anything."_

 _C:"What are your intentions Dean?"_

 _D:"You sure don't waste any time do you. Just having a bit of fun."_

 _C:"You like to do that a lot."_

 _D:"You just make it so easy Cas, I can't help myself when I'm around you."_

 _C:"Cas? You've called me that before."_

Deans next reply took a minute longer to reply but when he did, Castiel didn't realize he was holding his breath.

 _D:"Do you like it? I can stop if you don't."_

 _C:"I like it."_

 _D:"Oh good, cos I do too."_

"Oh god, you look like a schoolgirl who managed to get a date with the school jock. You're blushing! Dean and Cassy sittin' in a tree _f-u-c-k-i-_ ACK!"

Castiel threw his napkin at Gabriel and stood up so he could reply in private, his legs taking him to his living room, leaning against the back of his couch. His phone pinged once more and his eyes widened at the text.

 _D:"I like you even more. You work tomorrow right?"_

 _C:"Yes. I'll be there for a better part of the day."_

 _D:"Good can't wait to see you. Tessa isn't as cute to look at."_

 _C:"I suppose, if one was the sweetest orange in the world, there will always be someone who doesn't like oranges."_

 _D:"Cute, smart and a poet. Take me now."_

 _C:"I don't think that'd be wise in your condition."_

 _D:"Did you just make a sex joke?"_

 _C:"I'll see you tomorrow Dean."_

Castiel knew he should stop before it got out of hand and landed himself in some sort of trouble, Dean seemed like type to cause all sorts of trouble.

 _D:"See you soon Cas."_

Castiel quickly saved Deans number to his phone and stared at the screen for a moment longer, his eyes replaying the message over and over in his head.

He'd see him soon.

* * *

Dean laid back on his hospital bed, his phone on his chest and his uninjured hand behind his head. That had gone a lot better than he hoped and was glad Castiel took it in stride, other than when he asked what Deans 'intentions' were. He was a bit taken by surprise at the bluntness of the doctors' question but now...he was asking himself the same question. Did he really mean it when he said he was just having a bit of fun? Did he want to go past the flirting and teasing? Sure he wasn't much right now: a swollen bruised mess that could barely walk to the bathroom without help. But when Castiel looked at him...he didn't seem to care. The attraction was there, it was obvious, but one of them had to take that step to make something out of that attraction. He drummed his fingers across the screen of his phone until an idea hit him. He grabbed his phone and called his brother.

"Dean? Everything okay?"

"Yeah, shut up and listen. Before you visit tomorrow can you pick something up for me? I have an idea."

Sam couldn't believe Dean.

Seriously, Dean had a pie problem and needed to get help. The fact that Sam even agreed in the first place was just enabling at this point. He was standing in a long line at 6 in the morning, the morning fog carrying a biting chill that went straight through his woolen coat. According to Dean this bakery sold out quick but had the best pie in the city and wouldn't take no for an answer. When Sam started to argue that there was no way he was gonna wake up at the buttcrack of dawn for a stupid pie, Dean pulled the 'almost dying' card and Sam gave in pretty quickly after that.

So here he was, in a long line that was already beginning to loop around the block and he still had another hour until the bakery opened. At first Sam was going to just call his assistant or Deans but his stupid conscious got in the way and felt bad at the idea of them having to get up so early when they already had so much on their plate with him and Dean out of the picture.

The shit he did for his brother.

Finally the store opened and by the time he got to the counter, half of their baked goods were already gone but there was still plenty of pie. He figured, since he stood in line for an hour and then some, he'd pick up something for him and Bobby to enjoy. He made sure to tell the cashier he needed the pie above everything else, and when he made the poor cashier double and triple check, he finally paid for everything and left. He had at least 2 bags worth of pastries and wondered what he'd done to deserve a brother obsessed with pie.

* * *

Castiel entered the ICU ward with his heart fluttering and butterflies filling his stomach. He would see Dean today. And after the text message exchange they had the other night he was slightly nervous to see the green-eyed man. What would he say? What would Dean say? Would it be awkward?

He knew he had that effect on people sometimes, how he'd be scolded that he was too blunt, too reserved, how he didn't have a filter or was too intense. Castiel tried his best to correct whatever it was that was 'wrong' with him but knew that, he was who he was and didn't think he should have to change how he acted simply for the pleasure and comfort of others. He was Castiel.

He decided to see his other patients first, leaving Dean for last. He knew he was stalling, trying to delay the awkward encounter he was sure they would have. He genuinely liked Dean, crush aside, and didn't want to risk that connection to just fall apart because of him making it awkward. The past few days since Deans awakening he had come to form some sort of bond with the man, enjoying his company and the small talks time permitting. And if Deans flirting was any indication, he enjoyed the doctors company as well. But maybe that was just how Dean was?

With a weight on his shoulders, Castiel stood outside Deans door and took a breath before pushing his way in, hoping for the best.

Dean looked much better today and if Castiel had to guess, maybe a bit anxious. When he entered the room he noticed Deans' head snapped to the door, his body tensing defensively until recognition passed over his face.

"Cas. Hey." Dean greeted. He smiled warmly at Castiel and the familiar flutter of butterflies stirred in his stomach again, the weight he had felt earlier soon melted away at the sight of Deans smile.

"Hello, Dean. How are you today?" he half closed to the door behind him, taking a step into the room. He noticed Deans' bruises on his face were now a pale yellow color with barely any purple left, his cuts almost healed completely with only smooth pink scars proof that they had ever been there. Dean looked like he was on the mend and Castiel knew it would only be a matter of time until he would be discharged and fit to return home. That thought was bittersweet seeing as how he wouldn't be able to see Dean nearly daily but it also meant he was getting better.

"A lot better now that you're here. Did you enjoy dinner with your brother last night?" a knowing smile on his lips.

Castiel nodded, walking over to Deans left bedside to check on his vitals as was routine and check on his bandages.

"Yes, we had a nice time. We rarely have the same days off and when we do I tend to make some sort of plan involving brotherly bonding time. I'm sure you can relate."

"Ah yeah, Sammy and I work together too but with our busy schedule sometimes there are days where we don't see each other. But one of us cracks one way or another and try to sneak some time in to get together. Either for a quick drink or bite to eat."

"You two are very close." he observed. Cas thought as much after seeing the two brothers interact and Sams reaction when they first met at the front desk when Dean was being admitted.

A shadow of a memory passed across Deans face, his eyes growing distant for a moment before he spoke softly.

"Yeah, we're all we got."

But as soon as it had came it was gone and Dean looked pointedly at Castiel.

"Other than Gabriel, what else do you do on your days off?"

Cas thought for a moment, wondering if there was anything interesting he did that would prove interesting for Dean. There wasn't much he did outside of work, being a doctor in the ICU didn't really give a lot of time for hobbies.

"Well, if I'm behind on work I will look over my patients records and fill out reports, help a few other doctors with a consult. But if we're talking about what I do for fun...I like to watch the bees."

Dean raised an eyebrow at that, a small smile twitching on his lips.

"Watch...the bees?"

"I own a small bee farm above my studio. Small bee farms in San Francisco are quite common. I believe there was even a man, whom I met a while ago, that was growing cannabis for his bees to pollinate and derive honey from. His hives were very impressive and advice well received, he helped me prevent further rotting within the hive.

His brows furrowed at the memory.

"It was incredibly stressful that I didn't know what was wrong with my bees."

Dean laughed and shook his head. "Can't believe I'm jealous of a friggin beekeeper."

"I can show you one day, if you'd like." Cas blurted out without thinking.

"Oh yeah? I think I'll pass on the honey weed, thanks." he grumbled.

"No, I meant...I could show you my hives. They're not impressive by any means, since my time is mostly taken up by my work but if you're interested I can always give you a personal tour. That is...if you'd like." Castiel replied shyly, his eyes darting down to his shoes. This was the moment where Dean would make fun of him, where he'd tease Castiel about his 'dumb' bee farm and turn him down.

"I'd love to Cas." Dean quickly replied, noticing how despondent the doctor looked.

He jumped at the chance to learn more about the doctor and if Cas was willing to show him something that he was clearly passionate about, Dean wasn't about to skip out on the opportunity. It'd make a cute date.

Cas's gaze snapped back to look at Deans green eyes, searching for anything that might suggest the man was anything but genuine. They held each others' gaze for a while, Castiel taking his time until he was sure Dean wasn't poking fun at him, or humoring him and broke out into a wide smile.

Dean felt his breath catch in his throat at Cas' smile, a genuine teeth-showing-eye-crinkling-carefree-smile. Dean was blown away by how dazzling Castiel looked when he smiled and how open it was, how it was directed at Dean. His already bright blue eyes twinkling and Dean found himself lost in them.

Cas was smiling at him. _Because_ of him.

Dean felt a deep, primal satisfaction at that and smiled back at Castiel. Man was he fucked.

"Now, Dean clasped his hands loudly before reaching to his right side, pulling up a plastic bag and settling it on his lap. He needed to distract himself before he lost control.

"What are your thoughts on pie? Yay or nay?"

Castiel cocked his head and nodded. "Pie? I enjoy it." he said simply.

Dean pursed his lips but said nothing, determined to make the man a believer in the power of pie.

"Well then, let me introduce you to the best pie in the city. If you aren't moaning at the end of each bite then I don't know if this relationship is going to work out."

Castiel raised his eyebrow at the comment but didn't say anything regarding it.

"You really like pie." Cas then thought about ways in which he could use honey from his bees to make a pie for Dean. He knew Gabriel was already getting tired of the jars of honey, a constant gift Cas kept giving to his brother, and so Castiel had a decent stockpile of jars that he could experiment with.

"You can thank my mom for that. She made the best pie hands down but this...comes close to it." Dean opened the bag and pulled out 2 pink boxes, setting them on the little table and opening the lids. One box had a large pie with floral patterns cut out in the crust and the other had a mix of tiny pies, each with a different colored jam poking out from their own floral designs.

"I had Sammy pick up some pie this morning from my favorite bakery. They sell out pretty quick and I wanted to make sure I had variety since...I don't really know what you like." he scratched his head shyly, man he sure was making this turn into a chick flick moment.

Castiels' cheeks warmed at the idea that Dean had gone and asked Sam to buy some pie specifically so he could try them. Dean looked at Cas and noticed the doctor was blushing before chuckling to himself.

"Cute." was all he said before digging into the boxes, unsure which to pick up first.

"Dean…" Cas croaked out, his voice tight.

"Yeah?" he asked distractedly, his attention back to the pies and spreading them out across the table, fork and knife in hand.

"Let me tell the staff that I'm going on my lunch so I can enjoy the pies with you. I don't want to be interrupted."

Dean couldn't stop the smile that spread out on his face, nodding excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah. Go for it. I'll be here."

Castiel quickly left, pretty sure his heart wasn't beating right, and blood rushing in his ears. He tried to keep his face as emotionless as possible, letting the other nurses and doctors that he'd be on his lunch break, asking them to keep an eye on his patients until he returned. When he returned back to Deans room the subtle smell of the fruit filled pastries was in the air. He took off his white doctors coat, shrugging out of his suit jacket and folded them neatly to lay across one of the chairs in the room. He wasn't sure how messy the pies would get and didn't want to risk staining his clothes. The white shirt could always be replaced, his coats would be slightly more difficult to clean.

Cas didn't miss how Deans eyes stared at him as he took off his coats, how those hungry meadow green eyes took in every movement and threatened to swallow him whole. Castiel felt his face heat up at the intensity of Deans gaze before he briefly wondered if this intensity was the same Castiel gave off, the same intensity people complained about. But with Dean, he didn't mind.

"Damn Cas, you aren't the scrawny doctor I thought you'd be. You're packing some lethal muscle." He observed, his voice slightly strained and his eyes finally making their way up to lock onto Castiels own, his pupils slightly dilated.

"It would be counter productive as a doctor to not take care of my own personal health when it is my duty to ensure the health of others. I have to set a good example for my patients. Not that I don't enjoy the occasional junk food. But I try to stick to a healthy diet."

Castiel pulled up a stool and settled comfortable next to Deans bedside, taking care not to jostle his left arm and break his eye contact with the man. Instead he looked over to the pies.

"So, what flavors are which?"

Dean cleared his throat and returned his attention back to the pies, pointing to each one as he spoke. "Well, we got our classic ones. Apple, pumpkin, pecan and rhubarb. But there's also blackberry, peach, apricot, I think this ones' sweet potato but I could be wrong."

Castiel looked over the pies, deciding on which one he wanted."Which one is your favorite?" he asked.

"I personally like peach. When you bake it it looses a lot of its tartness and all that's left is the juiciest softest peach ever."

"Then I'll try that one. I haven't had peach pie before. I'm familiar with apple and pumpkin but usually I eat the more heavier pies. Boston cream, banana, and chocolate."

"Oh, trust me, these will change your life and blow your mind. You won't be able to go back to any other pie ever." He handed Castiel the small tin.

"We can split it if you'd like," if it was Deans favorite he didn't want to eat the only one in the lot. "You did say peach was your favorite."

"How about this, if you don't like it I'll finish it, but if you do then go ahead and finish it. They're small."

Castiel took the tiny pie tin and lifted the flakey pastry out from its metal confines before taking a bite.

Dean was right.

This was unlike any other pie he had ever tasted. The crust wasn't thick on his tongue, or sticking to the roof of his mouth that was for sure overloaded with lard like he was used to. No. This pie crust was buttery and crumbly in all the right ways, the sweetness of the peach like an explosion of flavor and juice, almost gushing. Like he was biting into the fruit just as it was plucked off of a tree at its ripest. He let out a small groan, taking another bite and finding it was even better than the first. Now he could see why Dean was obsessed with pie, these were bite sized pieces of heaven.

"These...these make me very happy." Castiel confessed, a grin on his face as he spoke through the uneaten dessert, his eyes locking with Deans. A satisfied grin was plastered on Deans face and he chuckled, nodding his head. He noticed that there was a slick smear of the juice from the peaches on the corner of Cas' mouth. Crap, he forgot to ask Sam for napkins.

"Oh, you got something…" Dean started before he took a deep breath and leaned forward, pressing his lips against the side of Castiels mouth, his tongue darting out to lick at the smear of peach and crumbs that were stuck there. Castiel went rigid, breath caught in his throat, unsure if what was happening was in fact real. After he felt Deans hot tongue flick out to lick at him Castiel turned his head to meet Deans lips with his own. They shared a shy kiss at first, their lips testing out the others, in unfamiliar territory until Dean pressed his tongue against Cas' lips, asking for permission. Castiel eagerly opened his lips to greet Deans tongue with his own, their teeth clicking as they deepened the kiss.

Dean tasted like coffee and cinnamon Cas noticed. And Castiel tasted like peaches and, surprise surprise, honey. Dean reached his right hand to grip at Castiels collar, pulling him closer and angling his head to gain better access to kiss the doctor even harder,refusing to end the kiss anytime soon. He ignored the pain in his chest from straining over to lean into the doctor, or the pressure he was putting on his broken arm and the flare up in his leg. He needed to taste Cas. Pain be damned.

What felt like hours of mapping out each others mouth with their own, as if trying to commit it to memory, Castiel pulled away gasping for air. Dean rested his forehead against Cas' own, catching his breath and roamed his eyes over his doctor taking in the mans' flushed appearance. Cas' eyes were closed but his cheeks were flushed, his lips red and swollen from their intense kissing and all Dean wanted to do was suck on that tantalizing top lip. Dean ran his thumb over Cas' lower lip, tugging it down slightly before he leaned in again to place a small kiss on those plump lips, taking the top lip between his teeth and pulling gently. Cas groaned in delight, his grip tight on the bed rails so as to steady himself.

"Dean…" Castiel breathed out, pulling away slightly, his eyes finally fluttering open to look into bright green ones.

"Cas, lemme taste you..." Dean murmured, trying to catch Cas' lips again, kissing up his neck to his chin and it took all of Castiels' willpower to not give in.

"Dean wait...we can't." he could barely get the words out, he could hear how weak his voice was, the uncertainty behind them.

"Yes we can, I'll take care of you, make you feel so good." Dean was right in Castiels' ear, biting the sensitive flesh above his jaw, the whisper sending a shiver down his back. Cas let out a whine, fighting hard against the obvious want and desire to just give in to Dean. How easy it would be to let Dean take over, let Dean make good on his promise.

"W-we can't. Not...not yet." he managed, voice firm, and pulled away but not enough to escape the grip Dean still had on his collar.

Dean sighed and hung his head but when he looked up at Castiel, he saw how there was barely a thin band of blue around the black of his pupil. They were blown wide open with lust. Castiel wanted it, wanted it as bad as he did but there was a hesitant look in those eyes. But Dean wasn't about to force the doctor into something he wasn't ready for, and no matter how those eyes screamed otherwise he just wasn't that kind of guy.

"We barely know each other. And you're injured _and_ my patient. It-it's against the rules...some policy..." he mumbled, as if trying to convince himself.

"Then let's get to know each other," Dean pushed, not wanting to let the doctor slip through the cracks, he didn't want to lose contact be it physical or through communication. "Once I'm outta here let me take you on a date, let me get to know you, have you show me your bee farm and try your honey."

"Dean…" Cas warned but didn't finish his sentence. Dean let go of his collar and ran his hand through those dark locks, relishing in the softness of the strands and how Cas turned practically into putty in his hand.

"You said two to three weeks right? I'll be outta here soon and then I won't be your patient anymore. We can take it slow if you want, take it nice and slow. Go on sappy dates and cuddle and look at the stars, watch the sunset. Go out and share a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, replay the scene of Lady and the Tramp."

Cas stayed silent for a moment and nodded, but didn't pull away when Dean kissed him again. They shared a deep kiss, filled with promises and desire but there was a tenderness to it.

Finally Cas pulled away and Dean's hand fell away from his head but their hands met each other, Castiel holding Deans good hand like he had so many days before.

"I don't want to end it like this. When I get out I want to try with you, try to make something out of this." Dean gestured to the space between him and Cas.

Cas stayed silent, squeezing Deans hand gently and bit his lip but Dean waited patiently, not wanting to scare off the doctor.

"Dean...I'm not...I'm not an easy person to be with. I...I'm awkward and I don't understand sarcasm. I work at a hospital and won't be there all the time, I only know how to cook pasta and…" Cas didn't know why he was trying to come up with excuses on why it wouldn't work but when he saw hope in those green eyes, all of his excuses died in his throat.

"That was a yes, right?" Dean asked, his voice catching despite his best efforts to remain calm and collected.

"...yes," Cas breathed, bringing his forehead to lean against Deans own, a shaky breath exhaling out from between his lips. "Yes, Dean it's a yes."

Dean kissed the tip of Cas' nose and took his hand out of Castiels own, tipping his chin up so he could look into those clear blue eyes.

"We'll go slow. I promise," then he smiled sadly, gesturing to himself. "Plus not like I can really do much once I leave. But I'll make it up to you."

"Dean...we should...we should wait once you've healed completely. Your first priority should be to take care of your body. It won't be easy and I won't put you through anymore stress than you're already in. You'll need time to recover and I can't prove to be a distraction, I won't allow myself to do that to you."

Dean shifted where he sat, the throbbing of his injuries still a dull throb, a sobering reminder.

"But...you'll be with me during all that right? You'll stay with me? We can just talk and you can come over and we'll watch movies and just hang out. And once I'm back to full strength…" he trailed off, wiggling his eyebrows at the implication that made a blush creep onto Castiels cheeks.

Cas let out deep sigh but a small smiled formed on his lips, looking up into those meadow green eyes that reminded him of sunlight streaming through the windows of stained glass.

"Of course, I'll stay with you Dean."

* * *

A/N

I don't know if any of you are in the bay area or live in San Francisco but if you know someone who owns a bee farm and can visit I highly recommend it. It's so cute and informative. Not to mention the honey is so delicious. I've tried a few of the local honey here, since I myself am a S.F native and thought I'd combine a bit of my city's quirkiness and Cas' hobby to watch the bees, ugh so addicting. I mean you can make mead out of it,it helps with allergies and never goes bad. Amazing. And if you don't know where to find one then second best thing is to find one of those like...artisinal food places that sell small batch goods from local merchants (or wholefoods) and ask if they carry any local honey. I know Sonoma honey is really good and they have sample jars. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter and give it a review if you'd like ^^. Ciao

-Bel


	3. Chapter 3

Hello folks, hope you are enjoying the new year of 2018. I'm sorry for uploading the chapter with such a long pause between 2 and 3 when the time between 1 and 2 was significantly shorter. I had a lot of time to write the first 2 chapters so when it came to write chapter 3 I had to start from scratch (and to figure out where to take the story) plus my personal life getting in the way, holidays, moving etc. But after reading a very lovely review from an equally lovely reader, the wind under my wings to continue writing was renewed. I want to thank XxBirdxOfxHermesxX for their amazing feedback and how humbled this writer is for their generous critique. I really appreciate it and it honestly made my day when I read it. You inspired the motivation to start this next chapter, I hope you and the rest of the readers enjoy it. To those who have just arrived, I hope you've enjoyed what you've read so far and to leave a review once you're done.

Many thanks.

-Bel

I don't own Supernatural.

* * *

True to Castiels' word, the doctor didn't allow for any intimate contact between him and his charge. When the time came to change Deans bandages or check on his injuries and take his temperature, the doctor made sure there was a nurse on hand to help him. Once Dean thought he could at least sneak in a peck on the cheek, as if Castiel could read his mind, the doctor simply stood back and watched as a nurse took over. Dean tried not to let his disappointment show on his face but deep down he knew the doctor wasn't going to go back on his word on waiting until Dean was no longer his patient. Dean knew that Castiel could get into a lot of trouble for crossing the line between doctor and patient and he didn't want the man to lose his job or get in trouble all because he couldn't keep his hands to himself.

After their pie 'date', Dean couldn't keep his eyes off the doctor, since he wasn't allowed to do much else, and hungrily observed all his mannerisms and ticks. How when Castiel would get frustrated he would pinch the bridge of his nose, or when he was confused or annoyed his brows would bunch together and his head would tilt to the side.

God, that head tilt.

His favorite quirk about the doctor had to be the eyebrow raise that Cas would do when something didn't go his way, if there was another doctor in the room or if Cas was disagreeing with a nurse (usually his brother) an eyebrow would go up. Castiel was driving Dean up the damn wall and he just wanted to get better already so he could have the man to himself, but like Cas kept reminding him, it was going to take time.

Which was another issue Dean had to consider: his post recovery.

Sam had assured him that his condo was set up for Dean and his furniture moved and replaced so he could be somewhat self-sufficient in his own home. Sam said he could even hire an aide or live in aide to help him but Dean shut down that conversation immediately, he didn't need some stranger taking care of him at his weakest. Plus, if he was going to have Castiel around to simply hang-out, he didn't want a stranger ruining any moments between them or making himself look like even more pathetic in front of the doctor.

A knock interrupt his train of thought and he glanced up to see who it was, a huge grin stretching out over his face when he saw familiar blues.

"Heya Cas."

Castiel came stepped into the room, no nurse in tow, and smiled softly towards Dean, ducking his head in greeting.

"Hello, Dean."

"What brings my favorite doctor in today?" Dean lightly flirted, shifting himself further up into the bed so he could look directly at Castiel, the small smile still playing on his lips.

Dean noticed the doctor rarely smiled at anyone, being rather stoic and professional when he talked to the nurses or other doctors, but whenever he talked with Dean or Sam a small smile would always spread out on his face. At first it started as a small twitch on his lips and after talking and joking with the Winchesters it would form into a small smile, the barest of crinkling around the edges of his eyes forming.

It had only been 4 weeks since Dean had been admitted, and 2 room changes, but even in that short amount of time the two Winchester brothers had gotten along quite well with the doctor, only making Dean giddy at the idea of Sam being more than accepting if he managed to convince the doctor to go out with him.

Castiel lifted a clipboard to his side, shaking it gently, tearing Dean away from his thoughts.

"Looks like you'll be able to go home tomorrow once we get some things settled. First thing tomorrow morning you'll be able to be discharged and enjoy recovering in the comfort of your own home."

Dean brightened at the news, relief coursing through him at the idea of finally sleeping and falling into his memory foam mattress.

"Cas that's probably the best thing I've heard all day."

"I'll make sure you leave with the proper medication for the pain and another to help with nausea. Tessas' notes said you're still having trouble with that, yes?"

Dean nodded, shifting uncomfortably where he sat, his hand gripping at the top of his right leg.

"Yeah should make life a bit easier. Will you be working tomorrow, see me off while I sail off into the sunset?" he joked but he was sure the doctor would pick up on the hidden intention behind his words. At this though, the doctor hesitated and he gripped the clipboard tightly.

"I, uh...I will be here in the morning but I've a scheduled surgery tomorrow." his face scrunching up in disappointment.

"Oh, no yeah of course. I mean duh, you're a doctor. Amazing surgeon to boot, don't worry about it Cas." he stammered nervously, of course Cas would be busy. He was a damn doctor and Dean wasn't the center of Cas' universe. He felt dumb for even assuming that Cas would just drop everything to spend time with him, they weren't even dating yet!

"Dean…" Cas lamented, taking a step forward but Dean shook his hand dismissively.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I totally understand. I'm just, getting ahead of myself as usual. Just make sure you don't fall for another handsome car crash victim, I don't need that kind of competition." he joked.

"I could...I could text you once I'm done with the surgery...if you'd like. It's a simple procedure, it shouldn't take more than a few hours." Daringly, Castiel took another step towards Dean until he was at his left side, hands resting on the bed rails. It was the closest Cas had allowed himself since the 'pie kiss'.

Dean perked up at the idea, his eyes lifting to meet Castiels' blues.

"Yeah? I'd like that."

Castiel smiled and before he could take his hands away from the railing, Dean caught his wrist gently, slightly pulling the doctor towards him. Castiel jerked in surprised but didn't pull away from Deans' grip, his crystal clear blue eyes meeting determined green.

Castiel couldn't even justify describing them as green. 'Green' just wasn't enough; they were moss against honey and wheat and when they watered they could shimmer like enchanted pools in spring. Two perfect orbs the same shade as earth during summers. Those intense orbs drew Castiel in, trapping him, encasing him in a warmth that Castiel hadn't felt with anyone else, not even with his own parents when he was a child. How those eyes looked at him, really _looked_ at him and the intensity almost made Cas want to look away.

"Once I'm out...Cas I'm serious about getting to know you. I'm not letting whatever...spark we have die in this hospital room. Whatever chemistry we have...I ain't letting it end here."

Cas smiled softly before he spoke. "I promised didn't I? That I'd give us a chance?" he reminded Dean.

Dean grinned, showing off those brilliant white teeth, the wolfish grin that embodied cockiness.

"Yeah, just reminding you that you don't have an out. I'm not letting you slip through my fingers." and with that, he moved his hand down the doctors slim wrist to intertwine his calloused fingers with the soft ones of the doctors.

* * *

Dean was discharged early the next day and was waiting for Sam to pick him up when all of a sudden there was a brief knock on his door.

"Come on in." he barked out, too distracted on trying to slip into his flannel without jostling his injured arm to turn and look at who entered.

"Big day huh? Got your ruby slippers on and everything." came the lispy voice, the voice that haunted Dean on a particularly bad night with the pain, the voice that made his leg twinge in response and sent a shooting white hot pain through his body. Dean turned his head to come face to face with Alastair.

"What are you doin' in my room? Castiel said you weren't allowed anywhere near me." Deans voice boomed, all the while he tried to shift where he sat to stay as far away from the deranged doctor.

At that Alastair sneered, rolling his eyes. He took a step forward, his crisp shoes making an ominous clicking sound in the eerily now-silent room. Dean wasn't hooked up to monitors anymore, to his delight, and without the constant beeping of the heart monitor he was so used to hearing, the silence was deafening.

"Yes, I wasn't allowed anywhere near his charge. But, you're not his patient anymore Dean-o. No, no, no. You're a free man now. Rules don't apply." he took another step towards Dean, standing over his chart at the end of his bed, flipping through the pages with a bored look on his face.

"How's your pain? Last time we met you weren't doing so hot and looking at this, Castiels' got you nice and hooked. Shame he doesn't share the same views I do on pain but I guess that would go against his values. Humanity and all that." He waved his hand in the air dismissively.

"I'm fine. I'd do a lot better if you got the hell outta here." Dean growled out, gripping the handle bar on his bed to steady himself while also looking for his panic button or the phone.

"Hot talk from a cripple. _Relax_ ," Alastair purred, noticing how Dean was not so subtly trying to look for the buzzer. Dean didn't stop, not trusting Alastair for obvious reasons, but he did slow his motions. "I'm only here to see you off. Make sure you have everything you need and such. After all, you were my patient, even if only for a day." he continued looking over Deans chart, stopping short at one page and reading intently.

Dean rolled his eyes and snorted. "Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night. Now that you've done your good deed for the day why don't you do us all a favor and just slither on outta here." He wanted the creep to leave before Sam could arrive, not wanting to explain to his little brother why the doc was there and their little history.

Alastair pulled his eyes away from his chart and looked evenly at Dean. "I don't think you fully understand the kind of situation you're in. It's only going to get harder from here. When you're not wrapped up in a safety blanket of morphine to keep the pain away. That's what I was trying to teach you, before Castiel took me off your case, to help you in your recovery. Believe it or not, I was and still am trying to help you."

Alastair gestured to Deans injuries, mainly his leg, before continuing.

"Yeah okay, putting me through the worst pain I've ever felt in my entire life was definitely helping me. I couldn't even think straight! It was like...like having shards of glass ground into me!"

Alastair smirked, moving himself closer to Dean and shook his head while 'tut'ing like an adult would reprimand a child. "The night I took you off the drip was to give you a glimpse of the pain that was to come and help you learn how to handle it but now...well that's just a lesson you're going to have to learn by yourself."

Alastair leaned over the bed, baring his yellowed teeth, hissing as he inhaled and stretched his neck almost inhumanly. All of a sudden Alastair gripped Deans injured leg making him cry out in pain and fall back onto the hospital bed, his good hand gripping the doctors own to try and pry him off.

The pain was blinding, Deans voice catching in his throat as he tried to force some kind of sound out and hopefully attract a passing nurse or doctor. Hell anyone. Dean was almost sure he'd pass out from the pain when Alastair released his leg only to grab it once more, hissing in his ear while he spoke.

"The pills won't last forever and the aches won't stop once the flesh has healed and the bones have mended. An injury like this...will be your companion for life. When the weather gets bad and you hear the thunder in the sky echo in your leg, when the chills in your body rival that of the fog and how your body will creak like rusted metal. With each and every painful ache you'll remember me. And you'll remember how I tried to help you." Alastair sucked his teeth, his eyes roaming over Deans body again reminding him of the first night he saw the doctor, and pulled away releasing his leg.

Dean could only watch helplessly as Alastair left the room, his blurry vision just barely making out the retreating form of the sadistic doctor while Dean tried to regain his sanity from the pain induced fog. He panted heavily, trying to calm down his heart beat, biting on his inner cheek hard enough to draw blood while he waited for the sensation to pass. The throb in his leg was so intense in it's beating, Dean was sure his leg would burst out from the cast. Every single pulse felt like it was straining against his cast and he half expected to hear it crack due to the pressure.

"Shit...looks like I was too late." came a voice from the door.

Dean snapped his head up to see Gabriel standing by the door, his hair a little disheveled and breathing somewhat hard.

"Sorry Dean-o, when I saw Alastair walking out of the ward I had a feeling he might have been here to see you." Gabriel quickly went to Deans side and put a finger to his neck, his eyes looking to his watch.

"Tell me what's goin' on with you Dean. What'd that sadist do to you?"

Dean tried to wave off Gabriel but didn't fight a second time when Gabriel returned his finger to his neck.

"The bastard came to talk to me. Apparently assaulting an injured patient is his way of saying 'Hello Clarice'. He wanted to give me some kind of pep talk about the pain...sick son of a bitch." he muttered the last bit under his breath, clenching his fist as another fresh wave of pain rolled through him, a chill wracking through his body and making him shake from the ordeal. He felt like he didn't even have full control of his body, the shakes making his teeth chatter and fresh tears prick at the corners of his eyes. He took a deep shuddering breath, trying to will his body under control but no matter how many breaths he took it only seem to get worse.

Gabriel cursed under his breath before he took his finger off his neck and nodded towards Deans leg.

"What did he do? How bad's the pain?"

"Like I've got friggin razor blades going through my veins, man. I feel like I'm going to pass out and my vision's turning green." Dean could feel the effects of a panic attack creeping up on him, much like the last time.. "And he squeezed the ever living crap out of my bad leg like it was the last helicopter outta Vietnam."

"Just deep breaths Dean, count to 5 between every breath and try and ground yourself. I'm gonna check your leg to see if any stitches came undone or if there's any sign of bruising."

"Whoa, what's goin' on? Dean?"

Dean looked up and saw Sammy walk in pushing a wheelchair with a bag on the handlebars and a confused/concerned look on his face. Sam rushed to stand next to Gabriel looking between the two, a questioning look on his face demanding answers. Dean gave Gabriel a pointed look, one that Sam didn't miss because he might be the little brother but he wasn't born yesterday, and Gabriel opened his mouth before closing it then opening it again.

"Don't worry, your brother here was just having a panic attack and I guess the pain threw him off since he's off the drip. It's just gonna take him a few minutes to get himself together." Gabriel replied flatly, leaving out the Alastair visit from his story. "I was just poppin' in to see him off, and since Cas is elbow deep in some chick,"

Dean choked on his breath but Gabriel continued with his story.

"I figured someone from the Novak clan should say toodles."

Sam raised an eyebrow and looked at Dean, searching his face before relenting and sighing in relief.

"But you're good right Dean? Do you need to stay another night in the hospital?"

"No!" Dean boomed out surprising everyone in the room, including himself, and quickly tried to laugh it off. "No man, one more night here and I'll go full on cuckoos nest. I just-just take me home Sammy."

Sam was immediately on alert and concerned at the helplessness in his older brothers voice but decided he'd grill Dean when they were out of the hospital he was suddenly not so fond of. Again, he may be the younger brother but that doesn't mean he was useless or dumb.

"Yeah, of course Dean."

* * *

Gabriel and Sam helped Dean get into his wheelchair after Gabriel was done double and triple checking his wounds, all the while the nurse was sending him pointed glances the entire ride down to the car. They wheeled him out to the front of the hospital where Bobby was waiting in Sams' car, the early morning fog biting through Deans clothes and causing him to shiver even with all the layers he had on. With the combined help of all 3 men they helped Dean get comfortable in the car, Dean grumbling the entire way complaining that he felt like a useless princess, and thanked Gabriel for his help.

"Nah, don't sweat it. Seeing as how Dean-o has my little bro wrapped around his finger, figured I should get chummy with the soon to be in-laws."

All of them gave the nurse a firm handshake and when it came to Sam, Gabriel winked at him pointedly, which earned him a confused look. Gabriel pulled him in close and slid a lollipop into Sams back pocket, making him jump in surprise and look wide eyed at the smaller man.

"Wha-"

"My numbers wrapped around the wrapper, if you ever need a break from pretty boy over there...gimme a ring. I have a feeling you're into the whole 'nurse' thing." Gabriel whispered into Sams ear, despite their huge height difference.

"Whoa! Novak, get your grubby hands off my baby brother. He's off limits!" Dean barked out from the passengers side.

"Sorry to burst your bubble Gabriel but...I'm straight." Sam said, his hands up and taking a step back.

"So's spaghetti until it gets wet." Gabriel winked and gave Sams rear a squeeze before walking away. "See ya later boys!" he called over his shoulder. Sam looked at the back of the retreating form of the nurse, too stunned to do anything until Deans voice snapped him back to reality.

"Freaking vultures...Sam can we go now please? Papa needs some coffee. Preferably Irish." Dean slapped the side of his door impatiently, shaking his head.

"Shut up." Sam lamely retorted before getting into the driver's seat, Bobby sitting in the back with a contemplative look on his face, and started the car to drive them all back to Deans condo.

* * *

Castiel bid the front desk goodbye, slipping on his coat tiredly as he left the hospital to make his way to his car. It had been a long day. The surgery, which should have only taken a few hours, took a turn for the worse and Castiel ended up spending longer than usual on his patient. He had hoped to be able to catch Dean before he was discharged but by the time he left the O.R. and took a glance outside it was already dark. He pulled out his phone to send Dean a quick text, having promised him from the night before, letting him know he was off work and hoping the man was enjoying being back at his home.

As he walked into the parking lot Castiel inhaled the crisp San Franciscan night air, letting the cool breeze calm his heated skin from staying indoors all day and it woke him up enough for the drive home where he would no doubt pass out once he hit his pillow. Yawning at the idea of his bed Castiel picked up the pace to his car and was surprised to see Gabriel sitting on the hood, smoking a cigar.

"Gabriel." Cas greeted, standing beside his older brother unfazed by the smoke. "I'm assuming you have a reason as to why you're sitting on the hood of my car?"

Gabriel put out his cigar and jumped off the hood with a loud pop. "You were always my favorite Cassy, always the smartest one out of all of us." Gabriel lightly joked before sobering and looking up evenly at Cas.

"Alastair paid a visit to your favorite patient today."

Cas immediately felt his exhaustion disappear, if only for it to be replaced with a surge of anger, his fingers clenching tightly, his jaw tense as he turned to look off to the side. The vehemence of his possessiveness over Dean engulfed Castiel, his fury almost palpable in the cool air.

"I gave him specific instructions to not go near Dean, why didn't the staff notice he was in the ward?" Cas growled out while turning to look at Gabriel, his usually clear blue eyes dark and dangerous. When Gabriel noticed Castiel get into one of his 'moods' it always reminded him of what a slighted God might look like. Gabriel was always half expecting to see electricity crackle in the air while a huge hammer came whistling through the air to settle in his baby brothers grip.

Gabriel raised his hands to try and calm Cas down.

"Now look, it wasn't their fault. I was at the front desk all day and even **I** didn't see him walk in until I saw him leave. But as soon as I saw him I ran to check on Dean and made sure there wasn't a body I had to hide." he lightly joked but one look at Cas and he knew his joke went unappreciated. To be fair, nobody in the Novak clan really appreciated his humor.

"Was Dean alright? What did Alastair do to him? Why didn't you call me?" With each question Castiel advanced on Gabriel, even though Castiel was the youngest he towered over the nurse with ease.

"Cassy can you just shut up for a sec? Dean was fine but Alastair got his claws into your boyfriend. Dean said Alastair squeezed his injured leg a few times and I checked to see if there would be any lasting damage or evidence but it came up bupkis. You know Alastair is a sadistic son of a bitch and crafty to boot. No evidence of any misconduct or manhandling."

Gabriel saw Castiel try to interrupt and he pulled up his hand to stop him.

"Look. I was going to let you know as soon as possible but when I heard about your surgery going sideways I figured I'd tell you after you got off work. Dean was uninjured, to an extent, and alive so I put it on the back burner until you had some free time to process all this with a clear head. Oh and to make sure you don't go off on Alastair by yourself like the smart idiot I know you to be."

"Gabriel! Even if it was Dean or another patient, which there have been plenty, Alastair assaulted a patient. He's assaulted patients in the past and has not answered for a single one." Castiel began pacing back and forth, half shouting while he spoke. Cas couldn't understand why Gabriel wasn't more concerned about Alastair, what he did, what he has done and what he will continue to do. Instead of wondering Cas voiced his concern aloud.

"Look little brother, I get it. You've got a soft spot for Dean so it's personal but Alastair never leaves any proof. We've gone through this before. The smarmy bastard doesn't leave any tracks, he makes sure there's no witnesses and he's got the Medical Board in his pocket. With Lilly on the Board he can practically get away with murder. And I don't mean that as a metaphor."

Castiel stopped in his tracks and looked up at the hospital, his eyes boring into the concrete as if he could see past it and try and pinpoint Alastair himself. A vice-like grip on his arm pulled his attention away from the building and into the golden eyes of his brother.

"I swear to god Cassy if you go look for him yourself I will body check you right into next week." Gabriel warned, his voice light but Cas knew to take it to heart. Gabriel was small and you wouldn't think to look at him but he was packing some serious muscle. Castiel let the wave of anger pass and relaxed, letting his shoulders slump in his trenchcoat and let out a resigned sigh.

"Fine, I won't look for him but I won't let this continue. Alastair must be stopped and stripped of his license so that something like this doesn't happen again. Will you help me? Brother?" Castiel gazed at Gabriel with an earnest, resolute look on his face, his jaw set tight and his proud chin up high.

"God Cassy, you sure do have that 'righteous' look down. Yeah, yeah 'course I'll help ya. Not like I've got much choice in the matter, you are my baby brother. Darn that pesky Novak bloodline. It's gonna get me killed one day, or worse, expelled." Gabriel let his hand fall from Castiels arm, giving him a clap on his shoulder, and started walking to his own car.

Castiel smiled lightly then furrowed his brows, confused on his brothers' phrasing. "Wait, how is being expelled worse than death?" his head tilting to the side, trying to make sense of it.

* * *

Sam was helping Dean out of the car, a crutch on his good side, while Sam held him up on his injured arms side, both men slowly making their way to the entrance of Deans condo building. Bobby was there, with his arm holding the door, and once the two boys were in the lobby he hurried to press the elevator button.

"Luckily you chose a place with an elevator. Carrying you up 3 flights of stairs would be pushing our brotherly bond to its limit."

"Shaddup, you should respect your elders." Dean gruffed out, his face already dripping in sweat from the short distance from the car to the elevator.

"I'll go park the car right quick and I'll meet you two upstairs. Sam you got 'im?"

"Yeah Bobby, go park the car. I'll be good."

Bobby nodded, clapping Deans shoulder comfortingly, and left.

It was silent in the lobby for a few moments when the elevator pinged and both men hobbled in, Sam pressed the button for the third floor before he decided to bite the bullet and ask Dean what had been on his mind the whole car ride.

"So, are we gonna talk about what really happened at the hospital or not?"

"Or not. Nothin' happened, you heard Gabriel. I was just having a lame panic attack. Nothing to get your panties in a twist Samantha." Dean was not going to talk about Alastair, hell he didn't want to talk about that smarmy bastard for as long as he lived. He was out. Alastair couldn't get him here.

Sam rolled his eyes and moved to stand in front of Dean, looking down at him with a classic bitch face #45.

"Dean? Really? You're gonna lie, to me? How often has that worked out for you?"

"Often enough, now drop it. I'm out, I'm home and on the road to recovery."

"No." Sam replied stubbornly, his hands on his hips.

" _No_?" Dean challenged, trying to stand up tall and also to remind Sam who the older brother was in this situation.

"You heard me. There was obviously something more going on before I walked in and I've seen panic attacks before. That was more than a panic attack. What really happened Dean? If it's about your health-"

"Sam I'm fine. Really."

"Dean." Sam pressed.

"God I hate it when you're on your period. Drop it."

"You want me to drop it? Then tell me."

"Broken leg or not I'll end you baby brother. I helped bring you into this world, I can take you out."

"Yeah? Do something." Sam challenged, squaring his feet and holding up his chin.

Dean was ready to just tackle Sam, pain be damned, when the elevator door pinged open and Bobby was waiting on the other side, slightly outta breath.

"Aw balls, are you two fighting already? What the hell happened, I was gone barely 5 minutes."

"Something happened to Dean at the hospital and he won't open up about it." Sam replied, a triumphant look on his face. If Sam couldn't get Dean to crack, Bobby sure as hell could.

"Goddamit Sam, I'm fine. Sasquatch here won't get off my back Bobby, mind helping me out?"

Bobby crossed his arms. "Well...what happened at the hospital?"

Dean groaned and rolled his eyes. "I'm not gonna get any peace am I?" he mumbled, mostly to himself.

Bobby and Sam shook their heads.

"Get me into my damn home and then we'll talk."

After Sam and Bobby helped Dean get comfortable on the couch and stood squarely on either side of him, both arms crossed over their chests, Dean decided to just spill the beans.

He told them about the first night with Alastair, leaving out the somewhat recurring nightmares he was having about the doctor, and the last visit he paid Dean. Dean was shaking by the time he was done describing their latest goodbye and gripped his leg, the story seeming to have triggered shooting hot pain from the sole of his foot to his hip.

"Boy...you need me to call in some favors?" Bobby replied coolly, his gaze hard and steely. Though Dean knew that look all too well, he was glad it wasn't directed at him and for a split second felt a tad bad for Alastair but with another shooting pain in his leg, all sympathy went out the window.

"Forget putting out a hit on the guy, Dean that's assault. You need a _lawyer_. This guy should be nowhere near a hospital, let along handling patients."

"Look, I'm with you on this. The guy should be in the nut house with a cozy jacket that doesn't open for the rest of his life, but I'm tired. I'm in pain, I'm cold, I'm hungry and dealing with a doctor I ain't gonna see for the rest of my life isn't high on my priority list. Besides, how am I gonna build a case against him? Me and him were the only ones in the room, and Gabe didn't find any bruises. Which means?"

Sam clenched his jaw and looked away, shaking his head. "No evidence."

"But Dean you can't just let this slide. You probably aren't the only patient he's done this to and by the sounds of it, you won't be the last. It almost sounds like he gets off on it." Bobby gruffed out, moving to sit on Deans coffee table.

"Oh trust me, he does. You should have the seen the look in his eyes. It was like staring at Hannibal Lecter himself." Dean shuddered at the memory and comically gagged.

"Dean. We can't just do nothing. Please tell me you'll contact a lawyer and file something against this guy. Because if you don't, I will." Sam ran a stressed hand through his hair, trying to calm himself to not call the police on this Alastair by himself, Dean be damned.

"Okay, I will. I promise. But lemme at least enjoy my one day of freedom Alastair-free? Ok? Just one day. That's all I'm askin'."

The two brothers squared off in a staring competition before Sam relented.

"One day. Tomorrow, first thing, we're talking to a lawyer."

* * *

Sam and Bobby helped Dean settle in while also catching up on simple gossip, how the company was doing and how Bobby was taking retirement. The 3 men simply enjoyed each other's company, the brothers glad to have Bobby around even if it was under terrible circumstances, and before they knew it the early morning sky was turning different shades of purple to a final midnight blue.

"Oh by the way, I picked up your meds this morning." Sam tossed Dean a plastic bag filled with bottles of pills. He poured them out onto the dining table, the bottles rattling as they bounced, and Dean whistled impressively.

"Guess Cas really did give me the hookup." Dean awed at the pills while rubbing his injured leg, the pain pulsating and rising in intensity. Whatever remnants were left from the drip back at the hospital must have finally worn off.

"Alright there Motley Crue...these are to fight off infection." Sam went about pointing at specific bottles, the lids taped different colors to show which are which.  
"These are for pain, one's stronger than the other but she wants you to start on the low dose first, and these are for nausea. The pharmacist said you need to have them with food or a glass of milk. Oh and this," Sam pulled out a foldable cane, tossing it to Dean.  
"Cas also recommended you get this and to use it immediately."

Dean wrinkled his nose at the cane and tossed it to the side, ignoring the look from his brother. He grabbed the two bottles for pain and took one of each, all the while evading Sams' attempt to grab them.

"Speakin' of 'Cas' what did Gabriel mean when he said you got 'im wrapped around your finger? You sweet on him?" Bobby asked, an eyebrow raised in question.

Like Sam, Bobby knew of Deans' preference for both men and women. Bobby was one of the first few that Dean had come out to when Dean was younger, Sam being the first. Bobby of course accepted Deans' confession right away, though if he was being honest it surprised him since Dean was such a huge flirt. Especially with women.

But like he told Dean at the time; 'Ain't nothin' wrong with likin' apples and oranges.' Which was Bobbys' way of saying he accepted Dean and that was that.

Sam looked bewildered, his eyes darting between Dean and Bobby.

"You made a move on Cas? Seriously? Your own doctor?"

"Hey what can I say...brunettes." Dean smirked guiltily which only earned him a resigned head shake from Sam.

"Can't take you anywhere." Sam muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Well with your track record, can't say I'm all that surprised." Bobby gruffed out before he looked long and hard at Dean. "He's a good kid Dean...granted a little weird but you can tell he's got a good heart. Be good to 'im ya hear?"

Sam cocked his head, a playful teasing tone to his voice. "Is...is Bobby giving you the 'when are you going to settle down' speech?"  
Both Dean and Sam shared a grin, earning themselves a hard smack from the older man.

"Look, alls I'm sayin' is the both of youse aren't getting any younger and despite Deans personality he actually landed himself a good one."

"Hey!" Dean shouted defensively, rubbing the side of his head with his good arm. "Recovering car crash victim here!"

"Shaddup and let me finish. I ain't known Castiel for long but he's got a good heart and genuinely cares about helpin' people, which is good enough for me. If you're serious about the guy then you be good to him. I would like to see you boys settle down eventually you know. I won't be here forever."

A small silenced descended on the group until Dean spoke. A pair of bright blue eyes that rivaled the crystal clear waters of the tropics on his mind as he did so. He smiled despite himself and nodded his head, clapping Bobby on the shoulder.

"Thanks Bobby...I've got a good feeling about Cas too."

* * *

Once Sam left, Dean and Bobby decided to hit the hay and both retreated to their rooms, Dean with the help of his new cane, and said their goodnights. Bobby would be staying a little while longer to help out until Dean was sure he could handle being on his own and Sam would return to work and help pick up the workload he left while taking care of his older brother. He assured Dean that he'd be partly working from home so he would be able to drop what he was working on to help out if Dean needed any help.

On his way to his room, Dean took the bag of pills with him along with something to help wash them down with, eagerly gulping down both pain medications and one to help with the nausea. He put the bottles near his bedside table and started to change into some pajamas so he could slide into his new hospital bed.

At the sight of the almost identical bed from the hospital a chill ran down his spine from the memory of Alastair's final farewell, causing a sharp pain to run down his leg and making Dean lose his balance. He gripped the cane hard, biting his lip so he didn't make a sound and bring Bobby running in, moving himself so he fell with his hip hitting the rail guards.

Dean reached and grabbed the bottle of pills, hazily reading the directions on them and took only one of the stronger pills. He waited for the moment to pass, breathing heavily as he simply stood there gripping his cane. Dean felt tears spring to his eyes and the swelling in his chest the signal of an oncoming sob.

'God I'm gonna start bawling like a little girl.' Dean thought to himself, unable to stop the flow of tears roll down his cheeks. Whether from the pain or the memory Dean wasn't sure.

What seemed like days, the pills finally kicked in and Dean felt the pain ebb away to a warm ache in his leg. He blinked slowly and carefully made his way into the bed, deciding to just sleep with the clothes he had on, the heaviness from the pills finally taking effect. He settled into the mattress with a soft 'oof' and tried to relax, to simply let that heaviness take him and swallow him whole. The sensation wasn't anywhere near as potent as what the drip provided him back at the hospital but it was close and Dean surrendered himself to it. He vaguely felt his phone vibrate in his pocket but by the time he realized what it was, he gave up his last remaining tendril of consciousness to fall prey to the darkness that welcomed him with open arms.

* * *

A.N

I'm not proud of this chapter, for some reason I hit a lot of roadblocks on how to write this chapter and on how Alastair was to 'attack' Dean. You might notice it's a little rough or you might not but this chapter was definitely a struggle. Maybe I'm just being hard on myself, dunno. Definitely my least favorite with possibly more to come but it's out there and that's 3rd chapter done. I hope you liked it (rough edges aside) and I would appreciate it if you'd leave a review, they sincerely add fuel to my writing fire and who doesn't like hearing feedback from their work?

I hope you're all doing well and if not, I hope you're having a day. Not good, not bad but surviving because sometimes that's all you can do and that's ok.

Be kind.

-Bel


	4. Chapter 4

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a great holiday and if not I at least hope 2019 is a bit more promising than the year 2018 was. I apologize for uploading so late and infrequently but as many other authors have done in the past, life happened and things got in the way so I couldn't prioritize this story until the dust finally settled. I've been working on it sporadically throughout the year, editing and rewriting as I went, but I'm finally happy with the finished product and hope you enjoy. I'm not sure whether to also include Sabriel or leave it strictly Destiel but if you have a preference please let me know in a review, they honestly keep me going and stoke the flames for inspiration. This chapter I actually struggled on a lot, I didn't know if I was taking the story to slow or to fast but I went with what felt natural and tried to keep it at a good length. I hope you all have a wonderful new years, rejoice and stay wild.

-Bel

* * *

Dean woke up the next morning hissing in pain, which he begrudgingly assumed would be the norm from here on out, the incessant throbbing beneath his cast similar to the bass in a club. Unrelenting in its intensity and with no end in sight, Dean scrambled to sit up, grabbing the remote for the bed to angle forward and let him easily slide out. Blearily he looked around to find the pill bottles that held his pain meds and dryly swallowed two from the weaker prescription. He looked up at the ceiling, his right hand gripping and rubbing at his thigh, praying for the pills to hit soon so the pulsing could stop. He should have set an alarm on his phone so he could take them as they were instructed, he did not want a repeat of this morning anytime soon.

At the thought of his phone, Dean vaguely remembered receiving a message before he passed out last night and reached out to find his cell. After a few panicked pats-of-searching, he found it and swiped it open.

'It's 5 o'clock in the morning?!' Dean thought to himself, his eyes bugging out at the ridiculous time.

"Fuck me, it is way too early for this…" Dean growled out, running a tired hand down his face and sniffling his nose. He then checked his inbox and saw he had a new text from Cas.

Instantaneously the sleep in Dean drained away only leaving a rush of adrenaline, causing the blood to rush in his ears and for the throbbing in his leg to increase. He also felt a warming sensation cross over his cheeks and knew he was blushing.

"C'mon Winchester, keep it together. Acting like a friggin' teenager."

He clicked on the text and read it with eager eyes.

 _Cas: You're most likely asleep by now,_

 _but I hope you're enjoying being back home. I just got off from work._

 _Long day but finally going home. How are you adjusting?_

 _Do you need anything?_

He read the time stamp and saw that Cas had replied a few hours ago. He originally wanted to try and call Cas but at this ungodly hour the doctor was probably asleep. Dean settled on replying via text anyways since he was up anyways. He paused for a second, debating what to type back to the doctor but decided to reply something casual and nothing too cheeky though he'd be lying if he didn't want to at least tease the man a little.

 _Dean: Just woke up. Pain._

 _Long day? Everything ok?_

 _yeah home is good Sammy got me a fancy hospital bed to help me in and out._

 _Don't need anything yet but I can't believe you gave me a cane._

 _Calling me old?_

Satisfied, Dean hit send and put the phone in his pocket before grabbing his cane so he could make his way to the bathroom. After tending to his immediate needs, he flushed and limped to his kitchen eager for a snack, he needed something to accompany the pills he took earlier and to also quell the monster he called a stomach. Dean rummaged through his pantry, taking care not too make too much noise so he wouldn't wake Bobby up, and settled on some protein bars he didn't know he had.

He hungrily munched on them while pouring himself a glass of milk to wash them down and leaned against his fridge, silently indulging in his early morning snack. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the calmness of his condo. He could vaguely hear the morning bus that drove pass or the distant honking of horns, the high chirps of the birds screaming their greeting to the rising sun and the distant fog horn of the cargo ships echoing from the bay.

He stood there, draped in the dull blue glow of the early morning light and hummed contentedly, the morning chill comfortable from inside his home and enjoying the fullness from his snack.

Dean slowly limped over to the window to pull back the curtains and opened the sliding door just a crack so he could lean against the frame and look out onto the quiet street. He lived in a somewhat quiet neighborhood in the small city, in an area where it was convenient to catch the bus if needed but not too close to the nightlife, which he realized was a rare find. He saw a few joggers and some people who probably just got off a night shift, their tired shuffling an indication of their exhaustion.

"Hmm...been there, done that my friend." Dean mumbled to himself between bites of his protein bar and stuffed the now empty wrapper in his pocket, too lazy to walk back into the kitchen to throw it away. Dean stood there for a couple more minutes, just breathing in the crisp morning air and letting the morning mist cool his heated skin.

A sudden breeze rushed past Dean, ruffling his hair and clothes as it did so and he immediately felt a sharp pang in his thigh from the cold. Cursing, Dean closed the sliding door and carefully made his way to the couch so he could put up his leg and maybe catch a few more minutes of sleep until Bobby woke up. He settled comfortably into his couch and pulled one of the throws he had hanging off the back of the couch to cover his legs before resting his head against one of the pillows. After a few painful grunts and re-positioning himself, a satisfied Dean crossed his arms across his chest and let his eyes close, letting the calm morning lull him back to sleep for as long as he could.

Which would only be about two hours until Bobby was shaking Dean awake and yelling at him for moving without calling for help.

"I'm not totally useless Bobby, okay?" Dean growled out grumpily, shifting the blanket further to cover his chin. "I got up to take a leak on my own and then I got hungry. I figured I could handle that without having to speed dial the A-Team. Besides, you need all the sleep you can get, ya old goat."

And that earned Dean a slap on the head and a string of colorful curses that would make any sailor, or comedian worth their salt, blush.

The day went by uneventfully for Dean. Sam ended up stuck at work for most of the day to try and catch up with the company, even going so far as calling to cancel lunch and possibly dinner. Dean still hadn't heard from Cas and was debating on whether writing the doctor another text would be a good idea, but in the end decided against it.

So, Dean shambled and shuffled every which way across his home, heard all the hay-day stories from Bobby that he already knew by heart and scrolled through all the awful day time television he could. It was like reading shampoo instructions: pain, pill, water, food, walk, rest repeat. Pain, pill, water, food, walk, rest, repeat.

Just when all hope seemed lost a loud bang on Deans front door made both mens head turn to look.

"You expectin' company boy?" Bobby asked warily.

"Not that I know of."

Dean made a move towards the door but Bobby got up and took a look through the peephole. Bobby then let out a small chuckle and opened the door.

Well, he tried to anyways.

The door wasn't even open an inch when it burst open to reveal a somewhat stout man with comically baby blue eyes, with his arms outstretched and a wide smile on his face.

"Come right on in why dontcha…" Bobby grumbled, having just missed the door hit his face.

" _Ah, merci Robert, m_ _ais où est…_ " the man asked, looking around the room when his eyes landed on Dean.

" _ **Benny?**_ "

The man clapped his hands and dramatically cupped his hands over the area where his heart was before moving across the room with surprising elegance.

" _Mon amour je suis arrivé, ton sauveur, votre raison de vivre._ " Benny babbled on in French, his hands reaching out for Dean.

Dean rolled his eyes, trying to hide his smile but failing while shaking his head.

"Son of a bitch, when did you get back from New Orleans?!" Dean asked while he was then enveloped in a crushing hug from the man, almost being lifted off his feet.

"I was on the first flight out once I heard the news about you and your accident. I had to hear it from Garth of all people, can you believe that?"

Dean then felt his stomach sink.

He never did reach out to Benny about his car accident but then he remembered the last time he and Benny spoke, Benny was away on some work trip and would be gone for awhile, something about a big business deal, lots of money involved. But...yeah okay maybe a text to let the man know wouldn't have killed him.

"Oh crap…" Dean whispered, ready to get his ass handed to him via rant a-la Benny.

"Oh crap is right. I swear, you Winchesters are somethin' else. Not one call, not one letter or even a telegram was sent out to let me know my best friend was half dead."

"I mean...I got better." Dean weakly defended but Benny wasn't having it.

"Luckily, I managed to finish up most of the grunt work and was able to wrap everything up in record time. I bought a ticket, a very expensive ticket I might add, so I could see you first thing. So, I'm here and ready to spoil the hell out of you until you get sick of me."

"Did you literally just get off the flight? Just now?" Bobby asked, rolling 2 suitcases in from the hallway so he could close the door.

" _Oui ma cherie_ , when I heard the love of my lifes' life was in danger, well, there was nothing that could stop me from seeing Dean-o here as quickly as possible." Benny joked but looked evenly at Dean, clapping the green eyed man's shoulders.

"But really...I was worried sick about you the entire plane ride. When Garth told me, I just kept thinking the worst yanno? I'm glad you're still alive and kickin' brother." Dean noticed the slight warble to Bennys voice, the tightness in how he spoke and the slight shimmer in his eyes.

Dean scoffed lightly and put his good hand on Bennys shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Not that easy to kill me Benny," Dean half smiled, taking a deep breath to steady his own voice. "But...yeah good to still be here, someone's gotta stick around to annoy you and Sammy."

Both men laughed lightly before embracing one another tightly, both glad to see each other.

Benny was a welcomed distraction and it also gave time for Dean to catch up with his old friend. All three men were sat at the dining table, sharing a light snack as they talked.

"So how'd it go down in New Orleans? Did you manage to do that secret thing you haven't told me, yanno, your best friend about?" Dean spoke between bites.

"Hey! Don't get fresh…" Bobby defended for Benny, even going so far as to throwing a nut at Deans head.

"Hurts doesn't it? When a major life changing event happens to your best friend and you don't know nothin' about it? Hmm, wonder what that feels like." Benny mocked, an amused expression written plain across his face.

"Yeah, alright smart-ass. But don't put that on me. You kept this from me from the get-go. So spill, what's goin' on man."

Benny rolled his eyes but broke out into a wide smile, his baby blue eyes shining in excitement.

"Well, as you know my restaurant is all about southern comfort food. Authentic New Orleans cuisine, actual family recipes handed down from generation to generation. I was trying to take a page out from Bobbys book here to start expanding out, turn my joint into a chain, introduce areas that ain't never had a taste of creole cuisine. But I wanted to base the flagship place in New Orleans, to my utter dismay the joint was already being scoped out by another potential buyer. So me and some other chef got into a bidding war for the lot and well…" Benny smiled slyly and clicked his tongue making both Bobby and Dean break out in laughter.

"Sucker never even had a chance did he?" Bobby asked.

"Not even a little. After all was said and done, I finished signing over the lease before I left, and my assistant is taking care of the rest as we speak. _Laffite_ is officially going national gentlemen." Benny announced with an air of pride, both Dean and Bobby congratulating the man.

"I think this calls for a drink." Dean got up from his spot and slowly hobbled his way over to the kitchen to sort through his mini bar.

"By the by, where is the Sasquatch anyways?"

"He got caught up at work, said he won't be by till late." Bobby replied, glancing at Dean for a second. "Did he ever say exactly when?"

"Uh...probably 9ish or 10. He usually works that late when he's slammed." Dean began to pour 3 glasses for them, choosing a whiskey that he knew Bobby particularly liked.

Benny looked at his watch and adjusted his hat. "Then that gives me plenty of time to go grocery shopping, cook you boys something. Think you're up for an outing brother?"

Dean was mid pour before taking a moment to think. "Hell, a few more of these and a pill or two, I should be." He took the 3 glasses and handed them out before raising his glass.

"To Benny."

"Aw shucks darlin'." Benny cooed.

Bobby just rolled his eyes and downed his drink, Benny and Dean following suit before getting ready to leave.

* * *

Cas wasn't sure how to respond to Deans' message and before he could think of something, Gabriel had dragged him out to run some last minute errands around the city. They were currently in a food boutique store that sold one of Gabriel's favorite candy bars and the blonde haired man couldn't choose between his usual and a new flavor, so he asked Cas which to pick. Castiel gave a vague answer while he checked his phone, his fingers tentatively typing a response to Dean when said phone was suddenly snatched away from him.

"Gabriel!"

"Spare me. You've been sighing wistfully every time you check your phone like a lovesick woman. I'm gonna keep this until we get back home."

"Gabriel, seriously give it back. The hospital might call or text me in case of an emergency."

Gabriel rolled his eyes and looked at Castiel with a unamused expression.

"You mean...if _Dean_ calls you in case of an emergency."

A light blush dusted Castiels' cheeks before he turned away, looking out the shops window and clenching his jaw.

"Uh huh, thought so. You've lived without Dean years before, you can live a few more hours without him." Gabriel turned his attention back to his very important matter at hand; his choice in which chocolate bar to choose.

"You make it sound like I'm obsessed with him." Cas grumbled, his fingers running over the artisinal oils that were on display, slightly pouting as he went.

"I'm no Miss Cleo but I do have enough foresight to see you're not that far off baby brother. Both parties included."

Cas tilted his head curiously, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "Is this your way of saying you disapprove? Of all people I was sure you'd be _for_ it, with your tenacity to bend and or break the rules. You always were the rebellious one."

Gabriel hummed in agreement, snapping his fingers to then point at Cas.

"I never said I disapprove but what kind of big brother would I be if I didn't give you a fair warning. I've seen you in love before Cassy, but this thing with Dean…it's different."

Before Castiel could correct Gabriel that he and Dean were not yet in a relationship, the smaller man cut him off with a dismissive wave of his hand, his eyes darting between candy bar to candy bar, too preoccupied with the task at hand instead of the conversation.

"And you're right. I do. Rebel I mean, what can I say it's in my nature. But you do realize we're related yeah? That same rebellious streak that I wear with pride is something you try to deny yourself. I've had years to indulge and perfect it, turn it into a piece of pure art. Hell, if you were to look up the very definition of the word, my handsome face would be the first damned thing you'd see."

A woman standing not too far from them giggled, no doubt in response to Gabriel.

Castiel rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "I'm not going to apologize for wanting to follow the rules. I'm assuming there's a point to all this?"

"What I'm saying is, you're like a kid in a candy store for the first time and unsupervised by an adult." Gabriel picked up both candy bars and tapped them against Castiels' chest, clicking his teeth. "And your pretty boyfriend Dean Winchester is about to become your favorite chocolate bar." Gabriel gently brushed past him to check out at the register, leaving Cas with his thoughts.

Okay, fine maybe Gabriel had a point. He could have his rebellious moments. His most famous to date would be leaving the Novak household, just as Gabriel had done, but Gabriel wasn't the first. Maybe he should have seen this coming, that the 3 brothers that got along the most were the ones to leave.

Cas then let his thoughts wander to Dean Winchester, as they had been doing much more often since getting to know the man. Even though he hadn't know the green eyed man long, he certainly liked what he knew so far and was willing to find out more about the older Winchester. Cas knew what he felt for Dean, or what he was starting to feel for the man, was different than any other relationship he's had in the past. How Dean managed to break his usually cool composure and level headedness with only a few words. How incredibly wild and vibrant Dean was compared to the doctor, Castiel felt a bit dull compared to him, even surprised that the man was so passionate in his pursuit to 'court' him. Maybe that's why he was falling so quickly for Dean. Beautiful Dean with his impossible-to-describe colored eyes, that stupid grin he'd do when he'd make an obviously lewd joke or his obsession with pie (of all things honestly).

Cas smiled to himself at the thought of the man, his mouth full of pie still wearing that grin. Castiel let out a small laugh before shaking his head, joining his brother at the register.

Maybe his brother _was_ right.

The two Novak brothers were leaving the shop when Gabriel whispered under his breath, stopping in his tracks.

"Hot damn, speak of the devil."

Cas frowned at his brother.

"I know we don't practice our religion anymore but honestly, speaking like that is s-"

Gabriel grabbed Cas' chin, cutting him off, to make him look out to the street where 3 men were climbing out from a rental car.

Of the 3 men only one really mattered to Castiel.

"Cas?"

Green met blue and both men stood still, staring dumbly at one another until Gabriel shoved Cas forward, making the younger Novak stumble a bit.

"Uh, um...yes hello, Dean." Cas stuttered over his words, quickly trying to smooth out any non-existent wrinkles on his clothes. Deans' eyes followed his hands as he went, subconsciously licking his lips before he had enough sense to clear his throat.

"Heya Cas, I didn't know you lived out here? I thought you said you lived near Noe Valley. "

"No, uh…I mean I do but Gabriel likes this shop for their sweets, specifically their variety in chocolate. He made me tag along with him."

"Bet you're glad I did huh little brother?" Gabriel called out from behind him. Castiel could hear the smirk in his voice.

Dean chuckled and waved at Gabriel, Dean wasn't sure whether to hate or love the man for trying to play cupid for him and Cas.

"Do you live out here?" Cas asked.

"Nah, Benny needed some ingredients for dinner tonight so we're stopping by the store here since he's friends with the owner. Hey! You should come by tonight." Dean exclaimed brightly.

Before Castiel could accept or decline, a voice spoke up from behind Dean.

"Who's comin' by tonight?"

Cas looked behind Dean to the unknown voice and met the eyes of a baby blue eyed man with a baker's boy hat.

"Ah, sorry man. Cas this is Benny. Benny, Cas. The 'angel' I was telling you about."

Benny reached out his hand, taking off his hat and placing it over his heart.

"Evenin'. Name's Benny Lafitte, Dean hasn't shut up about you since we've got into the car. Glad I can finally put a face to the name."

Cas shook his hand, nodding in greeting, a blush dusting his cheeks at the nickname.

"Castiel Novak. The short migraine with arms and legs behind me is my brother, Gabriel Novak." Cas pointed over his shoulder gesturing at his older brother.

"So I should be makin' dinner for...4, 5, 6?"

"Oh, thanks but count me out, as much as I'd love to see my Sammy, I've got a hot date tonight but I'm sure my bro will do me proud by repping me. Wontcha Cassy?"

"Wait, wait, wait...' _your_ ' Sammy? First of all I did not just hear you calling dibs on my brother, secondly only I get to call him that."

"Yeah, these Winchesters take their brotherly bond to a whole 'nother level. I wouldn't mess with it." Benny warned.

Gabriel laughed before he stood in front of Dean and clapped his hand on Deans' shoulder, squeezing slightly.

"Don't worry Dean-o. I won't let you get in the way of me and my Sammich. Besides, not much you can do, with you walking around with a cane and all that." Gabriel taunted.

Dean raised an eyebrow and raised his chin, gripping the cane tightly.

"Yeah? Keep talkin' like that about my brother and I'll show you a disappearing act involving you and this cane."

"Oooh, is that a promise Winchester?" Gabriel challenged, wiggling his eyebrows and pursing his lips. "Don't tease me with a good time."

Castiel groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, clenching his eyes shut.

"Give me strength…" he muttered under his breath, taking a deep breath so he wouldn't be tempted to commit fratricide in front of his potential prospect.

"Are we done here? I'm not getting any younger listening to you two smart-asses. Poor Cas looks like he's about to have an aneurysm." Bobby barked out, startling the group as if they had forgotten the older man was there listening to them.

"Sorry Bobby." Dean mumbled, loosening his grip on the cane but only just.

" _Was he here this entire time?_ " Gabriel whispered to Cas which only earned him an elbow to the gut.

"C'mon _Robert_ let's just meet up these knuckleheads at the store." Benny put an arm around Bobby, both men walking towards the grocery store, Bennys voice fading as they left. "Now about tonight's dinner, you're not trying to watch your cholesterol or anythin'?"

Dean leant against his cane for support before speaking.

"Look Cas, I'm sorry-" Dean started but Cas cut him off.

"Don't be sorry just because my brother is psychotic. He's a mess but...unfortunately he's my mess and believe it or not I'm used to these antics of his. It shouldn't surprise me anymore but I guess that's just my brothers _unrelenting_ charm." Cas faked smiled at Gabriel and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Aw Cassy, I'm your mess?"

One look from Cas and Gabriel visibly paled before he laughed nervously, raising his hands up in defense. "Alright, alright. I'll wait for you in the car."

"That'd be for the best Gabriel." Cas scolded.

Dean tried to hide his laugh while he watched Gabriel scurry away like a frightened rabbit.

"Oh man, you've gotta show me how to do that, it could come in handy when I gotta scare Sammy into doing things."

Cas tilted his head questioningly and Dean felt his mouth dry up, that damned head tilt made every thought in Deans head grind to a halt and all he could do was just stare at the doctor. Cas was looking the most comfortable in a simple ribbed dark blue sweater, beige slacks and a pale green dress shirt that folded over the collar of his sweater. The two of them just stared at one another, Cas lost in Deans green eyes and Dean drowning in Cas'. It took a group of people to pass between them to break their eye contact and both men blushed furiously, stepping back, trying to cover their cheeks with the back of their hands.

"So uh, yeah Benny is making dinner tonight and I'd love for you to come, if you're not busy. I can't promise Sam will be there but you already know Bobby and Benny's great."

Cas opened his mouth to speak, he was about to say he would love to go but looking closer at Deans face, the thin sheen of sweat clear on his skin and the way he was leaning awkwardly against his cane just showed how Cas how much pain Dean was in, even if the man wasn't saying it out loud.

"I...I'd love to Dean honest, but I have work tomorrow and I don't want to put you out by overexerting yourself on my account." It was a lame excuse, Cas knew it, but he could tell Dean was suffering just trying to stand up and Castiel would never forgive himself if he caused Dean even longer lasting harm simply because he wanted the man to himself even for a couple more minutes.

Dean felt his heart drop but tried not to let it show on his face. Then he saw Cas' brows furrow and those beautiful blue eyes droop in a way that could rival Eeyore.

'Play it cool Winchester, be smooth.' He thought to himself, swallowing thickly before speaking.

"Dean it's not because I don't want to but-" Cas started before he was interrupted by a stuttering Dean.

"Well, look how about just for a cup of coffee or-"

"Dean-" but Cas was cut off again but this time with a wave of Deans' hand, annoying the doctor to no end that he couldn't finish what he wanted to say.

"Nah, yeah it was a dumb idea. Don't sweat it, it's stupid and last minute-" then suddenly Dean was cut off in the best way anyone could be cut off.

Cas gently grabbed the lapels of Deans jacket and pressed himself up against Dean, kissing the man with the sweetest kiss since their last one at the hospital. Maybe even better according to Dean, since this time he was actually standing. Dean could feel Cas' stubble rub across his palm as he cupped the mans cheek, his thumb softly swiping across the warm tanned skin. Because Dean was leaning on his cane, and Castiel being slightly shorter than the blonde, the kiss was clumsy and new, it was teeth clicking against teeth and soft embarrassed laughs when their noses bumped into one another. Dean was sure if this was a movie, some sort of acoustic guitar would be playing in the background and some talented but obscure English singer would be softly singing along as they kissed. It was terribly cliche but, with the way the doctor tasted on his tongue and the feel of his lean body against his, Dean didn't think it was so cliche anymore.

To his surprise Cas took the lead in the kiss, the doctor was a surprisingly good kisser once they got into the rhythm of things. It was almost a nice change of pace, letting someone else take control, not that Dean was complaining since he was usually what you would call the 'dominant' one, he was enjoying this sudden domineering side of his usually shy doctor.

Before he could break the kiss, Cas hummed in pleasure, even dragging his teeth against the bottom of Deans' lip. To Cas, Dean tasted like whiskey and strong coffee. Deans eyes were hazy as he just stared dumbly at Cas, too lovestrucked to say or do much of anything other than smack his lips together, the subtle taste of honey and chocolate lingering on his tongue.

"You talk too much." Cas whispered huskily, his rough voice doing sinful things to Deans' vivid imagination.

Dean licked his lips, eyes hazy and a half smile lingering on his lips.

"If it means I get kisses like that then I'm never shutting up." Dean wrapped his good arm around the doctors waist and brought him close so Dean could press his lips softly against Cas's, just letting his lips barely touch the mans own. Cas tried to resist the urge to simply grab the man and make a scene right in public but he kept his composure and kept the second kiss short. After a few moments they pulled away from one another but kept their hands interlaced, their fingers rubbing against the others skin as if committing the feel to memory.

"Don't tempt me Dean, I know quite a few...creative ways on how to keep you quiet." Cas teased promisingly.

Dean raised an eyebrow in surprise and chuckled, pulling a hand free to pick up Cas's tie, letting the silken fabric slip through his fingers.

"You're painting quite the colorful picture Cas, you gonna make good on that promise?"

"I am a man of my word Dean." Cas looked at Dean evenly, his gaze intense and his proud chin lifted with an air of authority.

Dean chuckled, his spine slightly tingling in excitement about the commanding tone of Cas' voice. "Yes sir."

Cas took a step back and took Deans' hand, kissing the inside of his palm with an air of promise and looked up at Dean.

"Take care of yourself Dean, I'll be sure to keep in touch." and with that Cas winked, a devilish smile playing on the corners of his lips.

Dean just looked on with a dumb grin on his face, riding a love-high and just let out an unintelligible grunt of agreement, watching the doctor walk by him to get into the car where a grinning Gabriel was looking out from the backseat window, munching on a chocolate bar.

"Hate to see you go but love to watch you walk away." Dean mumbled to himself, rubbing the pad of his thumb over his bottom lip, a hint of honey still lingering on the tip of his tongue and watched the Novak brothers drive away.

Benny bought what he needed from the grocery store and took the time to find the owner so the two of them could catch up for a moment, both men glad to see one another. Once they had said their hello's and how are you's they parted ways and the 3 men made their way back to Deans condo. In the car Benny prodded Dean about what happened between him and Cas after he and Bobby had left. Dean spared no details, to Bobbys' dismay.

Once they got back to Deans condo, he could already feel heavy fatigue from the outing and from walking around the store.

"Hey Benny I'm gonna lay down for a bit, make sure you wake me up when the food is ready. I don't wanna miss dinner."

"You sure? I don't mind putting a plate aside for you to eat tomorrow if you're that tired."

Dean shook his head and waved his hand dismissively.

"Nah, being out just took a lot more out of me than I thought. I'll be fine once I take a nap."

"If you say so brother." Benny gave Dean a salute and started working on cooking for tonight, already giving Bobby tasks to help prepare.

Dean made his way to his room, grabbing his bottle of pain pills and dry swallowed a couple to help with the pain and to hopefully help him fall asleep faster. He got into the hospital bed and kept his phone nearby incase Sam or Cas contacted him while he was napping, putting it on vibrate so it wouldn't deafen him while he slept. Dean grunted and hissed while he got comfortable, the throbbing in his leg an almost audible feeling against his cast. He tried to steady his breathing and massage his thigh hoping it'd help lessen the pain, the haunting words of Alistair a whisper in his ears. Dean cursed and growled under his breath, the pain mounting as the seconds passed by with no sign of it abating. Dean reached over to grab the bottle of pills again and read the label, wondering if he could double dose without it harming him.

'Well the bottle says 'as needed' so what the hell.' Dean thought.

He took another 2 pills and swallowed them, putting the bottle back on his nightstand before laying down. Sure enough a couple minutes later he could feel his body tingling, the sensation starting at the tips of his fingers and toes then spreading throughout his body and a numbing sensation following that. His body started to feel both heavy and weightless, his eyes going in and out of focus and his head the only true thing weighing him down. Dean felt the pain in his leg go from hot and searing to a slight itch all over his body and the rushing in his ears slow to an occasional beat which Dean was sure wasn't healthy but all he cared about was that his leg didn't hurt and he felt...numb. Like the previous night, Dean let himself be pulled into a deep sleep and wouldn't wake up until Benny woke him up for dinner.

Sam didn't manage to leave the office until late that same night, exhausted from catching up on weeks worth of work and also trying to build up a case against that Dr. Alastair Masters. He originally was going to go home and continue to catch up on work but when he got the text that Benny was in town, _and_ willing to cook dinner, Sam changed his evening plans immediately. After a quick goodbye to the front desk and security, Sam quickly drove over to Deans condo so he could stuff himself with Bennys' cooking and check up on his brother. He rode the elevator up to Deans floor and used his spare key to let himself in and immediately let out a groan of pleasure as the scent of Bennys' cooking hit his nostrils, the warmth of the condo relieving his aches and pains from sitting at a desk all day.

"God that smells amazing Benny."

Sam surprised both Bobby and Benny, the two spinning to look at Sam from the kitchens island.

"Well look who's decided to join us." Benny walked over to Sam and wrapped him up in a crushing hug. Sams' eyes nearly bulged out from their sockets while he tried to return the hug, taken aback from the chef's strength.

"Some party, where's Dean?" Sam noticed his brother was missing from the welcome party.

"He's taking a dirt nap until the food's ready, told us to wake him up once it was done."

Sam took a quick look at the clock.

"Yeah? When was that?"

Bobby thought about it for a moment before answering. "Been about 5 hours now. Don't worry, I checked on him to make sure he was still breathing. He's fine, I think the trip out to the grocery store knocked him out." Bobby reassured Sam.

Sam took a seat at one of the bar-stools under the island and undid his coat and tie.

"Really? How did he do?"

"He did pretty well, all things considered. I think what tired him out the most was bumping into Castiel and his brother, couple-a-cards those two." Benny joked. "Reminds me of when you and Dean get into it sometimes."

Sam raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"What were they doing there?" Sam tossed his coat over the back of the couch and rolled up his sleeves, trying to get comfortable. Benny and Bobby told Sam the story of how they bumped into the Novak brothers and how they left the two lovebirds alone while they caught up on Bennys shopping list. Sam let out a loud laugh and shook his head.

"I gotta say, I'm flattered Gabriel thinks I'm such a catch but that guy just won't give up will he."

"I mean Sam, if you wanna start playing for the other team you won't get any judgement from Bobby or I." Benny teased, giving Sam a wink. Bobby smacked the chef upside the head and frowned.  
"I think I've had enough flirting to last me a lifetime after today, tone it down will you."

Sam chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"I'm good Benny. I'm perfectly secure with my sexuality."

Sam took another look at the clock and furrowed his brows.

"Shouldn't we wake Dean up? It's been a while now and a hungry Dean is a scary Dean."

All three men agreed.

"Uh, you go first Sam. Go on, say hi to your brother." Benny suggested nervously.

Sam narrowed his eyes at Benny and crossed his arms. "Don't tell me you're scared of waking up my brother."

Benny had a haunting look in his eyes, his gaze distant as he recalled on some memories.

"Rooming with your brother in college will forever scar me, trust me I've learned my lesson. You're his brother, he won't uppercut you."

"That was once! And he was having a nightmare!" Sam protested.

"Once too many Sam. You go."

Sam huffed in annoyance but got up and went to go wake Dean, muttering under his breath while Benny and Bobby snickered behind him.

Sam knocked on Deans door just in case his brother was awake but when he received no answer he opened the door anyways. He flicked on the light and sure enough his brother was still passed out on the bed, one arm over his stomach and the other over his eyes. Sam walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, carefully shaking Dean awake so as not to jostle his remaining injuries.

"Dean, wake up. Dinners ready."

Dean snorted once, the arm over his eyes shifting to cover his chest and giving Sam a good view for him to look at his brothers face he see how exhausted Dean was. The circles under his eyes were shadowed and almost red, his skin color was pale, his tan from the past summer almost non-existent and the sheen of sweat on his skin made Sam think Dean was running a fever. Sam furrowed his brows in worry but looking back on the day Dean had, it made sense he'd look so worn out. He gently reached over to slap Deans cheek and properly wake up the man. When Dean didn't stir Sam tried once more before he huffed out annoyed, crossing his arms over his chest and rolling his eyes.

"Dean c'mon. Wake up or I'll pour water on you."

"Do that and you're a dead man." Dean murmured sleepily, his eyes still closed.

Sam smirked and continued to annoy the sleeping man.

"Bennys' done with dinner and I know how slightly annoyed you get when you don't eat."

Dean grunted and wiped his hand over his face, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. He couldn't believe how tired he felt. If Sam was here then it must be late, there was no way his brother managed to get out of work early after trying to catch up on weeks worth of work.

"How long have I been out?"

"Bobby says about 5 hours."

Dean cursed and flopped his head back onto his pillow which only sent the room spinning, he tightly shut his eyes so he could reorient himself.

"Feels like I only got half an hour, I'm so freakin' tired."

"I bet, Benny told me you ran into Castiel today. You gonna fill me in on the details of how that went or am I gonna have to just assume the worst of my brother?"

Dean grinned and suddenly had the energy to tell his brother what happened between him and Cas, from the clumsy last minute invite to the hot and steamy kiss.

"That kinda threw me for a loop, who knew the shy and dorky doctor could be...so aggressive."

Sam furrowed his brows. "I'm not that surprised actually, he is in the medical profession and that field is known to be ruthless when it comes down to coming out on top. I've heard some real horror stories from friends and friends of friends. How their notes would be stolen or ruined from their peers, students trying to sabotage one another just to get a slightly better grade. I'm sure it wasn't that much different for Cas."

Dean was thoughtful for a moment before a sly smirk ghosted over his lips.

"Wonder how that's gonna come out in the sack."

Sam seemingly choked on nothing and slapped his hands over his ears, groaning in disgust while getting up to leave.

"Oh- jesus! Dammit Dean!"

Sam ran out of the room while Dean laughed loudly behind him.

* * *

Over the next couple of weeks Dean spent the most of his time strengthening his leg and recovering from the crash, his wounds healing quick and without any complications. His ribs and right leg would take the longest to heal but he could feel himself getting stronger with every coming day. Dean and Cas kept in touch but, due to the doctors schedule and Deans limited energy, they didn't see much of one another apart from follow up appointments.

"Hello, Dean. How are you today?"

Dean was sat on the edge of the waiting room bed, his leg draped over Cas's thigh, the doctor had lifted Deans' sweatpants to take a look at his thigh. It was Deans' last appointment with the doctor and he was excited to not have to see Cas as a patient, wondering maybe they could start seeing each other officially. Dean was vibrating with excitement and even Cas, cool, calm, collected Cas had a glint of excitement in his eyes. He began unwrapping the temporary cast on Deans' thigh and gently prodded the area, curious to see how sensitive the site was.

"Good, well other than the peg leg. But good. Bobby went back home last night and Benny is hanging around in the city checking up on me if I need anything. Sam is busier than ever with the company and I barely get to see him but, with me currently out of order I can't blame him."

"Hmm, well if everything goes according to plan today, you'll be able to start work soon enough."

Dean grunted in agreement. He was eager to dive back into work, going back into the office and help Sam catch up on some work so his baby brother could get some kind of reprieve after working on his own these last couple weeks. Dean was also looking forward to just leaving his apartment, he was going stir crazy inside his condo, sure it wasn't exactly small by any means but he was tired of being cooped up.

"Let me know if this hurts." Cas softly instructed, one hand gently cradling Deans calf and the other on his exposed thigh, his fingers gently running along the outside of the wound to make his way inward in circular increments.

Dean couldn't stop the rising blush in his cheeks at the sight; Cas on his knees in front of Dean, holding his leg and treating it like it was the most important thing in the world. His white lab coat had fallen open, showing the doctors lean frame that was stressing against his dark suit, the close scent of Cas's cologne filling Deans nose. Cas's hair looked messier than usual today but only added to the doctors attractiveness, the dark locks slightly curled at the ends and lightly tousled with that smelled like some sort of sweet scented gel. Dean wanted to run his fingers through the hair but held himself back.

'Time and place for everything Winchester.'

One of Cas's prods hit a particularly sore area and he winced in pain.

"Sorry, I'll try to be more careful…" Cas' usually rough voice was soft and hushed as his fingers continued their gentle massage.

Dean was arguably at his most vulnerable, his mangled leg in the hands of the doctor who healed him, the doctor who's seen him at his worst; bloodied, battered and bruised. The wound on his thigh was still on the mend, the flesh was a muddy yellow with splotches of purple, the skin was wrinkled and would most likely would stay that way due to how big the wound was originally. Dean had taken long looks at the site, his vanity getting the better of him, worried that Cas wouldn't find him attractive despite their obvious chemistry. Sure, Dean knew he had a pretty face and a great body but what was all of that worth if Cas looked at his scar and decided it wasn't worth it. But seeing Cas now, the way he looked at it, quelled some of the doubts.

Cas simply looked over the wound, almost with an air of remorse, and sighed before gently putting down Deans leg.

"I'm so sorry Dean...I honestly tried my best to save as much as I could but the shrapnel had cut through so much. It's healing the way we hoped in the sense that there's no infection but it looks like you'll have a permanent limp."

"Whoa, Cas. Hey look at me," Dean tried to coax Cas to look at him, his green eyes searching for those captivating blues, trying to pull to doctors gaze to lock with his. Here he was worried Cas would think he was ugly and Cas is worrying about Dean blaming him for the crash.

"Cas you don't have to apologize. It wasn't you driving the truck and it wasn't your fault that I was injured. Shit just happens. I believe you when you say you're the best at what you do and if this was all that you could save then, that's good enough for me."

The doctor finally looked up at Dean, his eyes filled with guilt but nodded and half-smiled. "Thank you Dean, that… " Cas took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders. "That means a lot more than you know."

Dean then suddenly groaned as a hot wave of pain rolled over his thigh and he braced himself while it ran its course.

'Jesus if it's not one thing it's another.' Dean thought irritably.

"Dean?"

Dean couldn't say anything, the pain almost paralyzing him as it wracked through his body. Cas looked over him helplessly, his hands reaching out only to hang uselessly in the air. Once it looked like it was over, Dean exhaled loudly and wiped the sweat from his brow, his mouth dry and his vision slightly blurred.

"Damn, that one was probably the worst one so far." he chuckled nervously, his chest heaving from the ordeal.

"Do... you get those often?" Cas asked worriedly, his head tilting inquiringly.

"Unfortunately, yeah. They just come outta nowhere sometimes, even when I'm sleeping."

"How are the pills working? Do they help with the pain at all?"

"Yeah they help but I think I've got only a couple days worth left."

Cas was thoughtful for a moment before he stood up and went over to his computer, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he went.

"I'll write you up another prescription, at least until the episodes stop. Hopefully with the way you're recovering, combined with the physical therapy appointments, they won't be so intense. The new prescription should tide you over until then."

Dean sighed in relief and ran a hand through his hair, smiling easily.

"Thanks Cas, I was really worried about what I was gonna do once I ran out."

Cas turned to look at Dean and nodded. "With an injury that deep you're going to experience some pain even after you've recovered, but for now I'll do my best to make sure you're comfortable while you heal." the doctor walked over to Dean and knelt back down to help put the cast back on, careful not to jostle Deans leg. "The pharmacy is still open, I've rushed ordered it so you can pick it up after you leave."

Dean scratched the back of his head nervously and cleared his throat, clenching his hands together in front of him on his lap.

"Listen Cas, I uh-" but before Dean could go any further Castiel spoke up.

"Dean, seeing as how this is our last appointment, I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner with me. Tonight." Cas was looking up at Dean with unadorned sincerity, his eyes full of excitement and hope.

Dean was speechless for a moment, kicking himself for letting the doctor beat him to the punch. Though it seemed like it was a moment too long as the doctor furrowed his brows in confusion.

"You're...not saying anything. Dinner is still...an appropriate date idea, isn't it?"

Cas knew he hadn't been on a date in a while, let alone been in a relationship, and hoped the dating scene hadn't changed so drastically.

Dean let out a short laugh and shook his head.

"Yes, yes it is. Sorry I wasn't...you beat me to the punch and it caught me off guard. I was actually going to ask _you_ out on a date."

A slow realization came across Cas' face.

"Oh...oh!"

"But just because you're buying me dinner doesn't mean I owe you anything." Dean teased, his voice overly effeminate, poorly mimicking a woman's voice.

"Why is your voice so high?"

Dean rolled his eyes and brought the doctor forward so he could kiss him, one hand gripping the soft dark locks and the other wrapped around his neck. Cas hummed contentedly, his hands gripping Deans' thighs to steady himself, kissing him breathless all the while butterflies were going crazy in his stomach. He was officially taking Dean out on a date, beautiful, untamed and vibrant Dean Winchester wanted to go out on a date with him.

* * *

Well there you are, Chapter 4 done and Chapter 5 is already quickly in the works. It's a lot of fluff and may seem like a lot of filler but I promise this all is for a reason and will slowly build up the foundations for the later and darker chapters. Please if you'd be so kind to leave a review letting me know what you thought of this chapter and maybe what you'd like to see in the future, I'm always curious about other peoples thoughts on my stories. See you all next time.

-Bel


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